Carmelo Anthony praised Michael Jordan for making a strong public statement on the growing racial and social unrest in the U.S.

Melo is proud of his Jordan Brand boss for “put his money where his mouth is at“—Jordan pledged a total of $2 million to a couple of organizations working to build trust between the police and their communities.

Carmelo Anthony on Michael Jordan's statement today. "I thought it was brilliant and about time he stepped up." pic.twitter.com/D3htGey0MI

With only a few spare hours Monday before jetting off to continue the Americans’ pre-Olympic tour, Anthony gathered basketball stars, community leaders and police officers to speak with teenagers and young adults about the importance of respect, communication and safety. Roughly 200 people came together for the meeting, and Anthony believes everyone left with something to contemplate.

“We really got a lot of messages out of today,” Anthony said. “Hopefully we can continue this dialogue, and we created something today that will continue on.”

Anthony shares many Americans’ profound disquiet with gun violence after this year’s series of increasingly dismaying shootings. With both the men’s and women’s Olympic teams in Los Angeles at the same time, the New York Knicks star recruited fellow Olympian Tamika Catchings and other like-minded athletes at the Challengers Boys and Girls Club to begin a badly needed nationwide conversation. […] “There were some very, very powerful messages that were being talked about,” Anthony said. “Not just amongst us as athletes, but among the youth. The youth really spoke out today about how they feel about their community, how they feel about police officers, how they feel about relationships and how we can mend these relationships.”

After sitting out the entire 2013-14 campaign due to knee and foot injuries, J-Rich appeared in 19 games for the Philadelphia Sixers last season. (He inked a non-guaranteed deal with the Atlanta Hawks last month.)

Richardson, 34, played for five teams and won back-to-back Slam Dunk Contests in 2002-2003.

“Today is a bitter sweet moment for me. I’m officially announcing my retirement from pro basketball. I like to thank the organizations and fans in Charlotte, Phoenix, Orlando, Philly and especially The Bay Area for their loyal support the past 14 years. Walking away was the hardest decision I had to make but choosing my health and spending time with my family is more important to me! God bless!”

“I didn’t want to limp the rest of my life,” Richardson said. “I still have my whole life in front of me, God willing. I sat alone at a park in Atlanta thinking and no one said anything to me because they didn’t recognize me since I just got there. I talked to my wife for an hour on the phone and then I sat for five hours thinking while listening to music before deciding that retiring was the right thing to do.”

The Golden State Warriors selected Richardson with the fifth overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft out of Michigan State. He averaged 18.3 points with the Warriors from 2001-07, including a career-high 23.2 points during the 2005-06 season. He also played for the Charlotte Bobcats, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers from 2007-15. Injuries caused him to miss the 2013-14 season and play in just 52 games the past three seasons combined.

While Richardson scored 14,644 points during his NBA career, he believes he will be most remembered for his dunking that included his signature windmill 360-degree slam. […] “The dunk contests are what people know me for,” Richardson said. “I played on teams with Golden State that I was scoring 17 to 18 points a game on, but we weren’t winning. So I will always be known for the dunk.”

Cap’n Jack, 37, was a member of eight teams and averaged 15.1 points and 3.9 rebounds during his fourteen-year run.

Jackson last played during the 2013-14 season for the LA Clippers; he helped the San Antonio Spurs win the 2003 title and was a key combatant in the unforgettable “Malice in the Palace” the following year.

Tyson Chandler (20 points, 13 rebounds, 4 steals) has been on an absolute tear during the Mavs’ current three-game winning streak. During this span, the Mavs big man is averaging 16.0 points, 16.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks while shooting 67.9 percent from the field. So far, he has looked even more dominant than his first time with the franchise. Meanwhile, in the backcourt, Monta Ellis (18 points, 5 assists, 3 steals) continues to come through with clutch baskets late in games. Without Dirk Nowitzki, who sat this one out for rest, Ellis became the source of most of the team’s offense and excelled in that role. Reserve power forwards Charlie Villanueva (11 points, 8 minutes) and Richard Jefferson (10 points, 3 assists) took advantage of Dirk’s absence and each reached double-digits. Michael Carter-Williams (18 points, 16 assists, 10 rebounds) managed to notch his first triple-double of the season as six Sixers scored in double figures. K.J. McDaniels (21 points, 13 rebounds) earned a double-double off the bench. However, as a team, they couldn’t make enough stops down the stretch as their offense stalled in the final quarter. This has been a common theme for Philly this season–keep the game in reach until the final 12 minutes when it all falls apart. The Sixers have now lost a franchise-worse 16 games to start the year and are two losses away from tying the all-time NBA worst start to a season when the Nets began their 2009-10 campaign 0-18.

Wizards 83 (10-5), Pelicans 80 (7-8)

Anthony Davis (30 points, 13 rebounds, 11-18 from the field) had yet another monster performance in attaining his fourth 30 point-10 rebound performance of the season. Even though his numbers obviously reflect that of a legitimate MVP candidate, the record does not. Davis will have a hard time making his case as long as Marc Gasol, Stephen Curry, Kyle Lowry and James Harden continue their level of play while their respective teams keep climbing the Western Conference ladder. Davis did his best to slow down Marcin Gortat (season-high 24 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks), but the Wizards big man had an extremely efficient third quarter, making five of the seven shots he attempted. And when the game was coming down to the wire, Washington had the veteran swingman ready to step up. After Davis dunked one home to give his team a 77-76 lead with 3:48 remaining, Paul Pierce (10 points, 3 blocks) softly made a finger role followed by a long-range bomb to give the Wizards an 81-77 lead. Bradley Beal (12 points, 2 steals) would tip one in to give his team their 10th win of the season and send the Pelicans below .500.

Hawks 105 (9-6), Hornets 75 (4-14)

Charlotte seemed bound for a breakout season after making it to the playoffs last year, changing back to the Hornets logo this offseason and bringing in Lance Stephenson (6 points, 3 assists) to fill out the backcourt. Many believed Michael Jordan had started to send this franchise in the right direction. However, it has been nothing but a struggle so far as Saturday night’s game was just one of the many bumps Charlotte has faced this season. Behind a balanced attack, the Hawks jumped out to an early lead, and by halftime, held a 36-point lead—the largest halftime lead the franchise has had in 25 years. No Bobcats player looked comfortable in this game as they shot 29-88 (33.0 percent) from the field. To be blunt, their offense stinks. The Hawks, on the other hand, shot 53.3 percent from the field with Paul Millsap (18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 7-10 from the field) and reserve Mike Scott (14 points, 5-7 from the field) leading the way. Jeff Teague (6 points, 10 assists) didn’t reach double figures, but controlled the offense during his 20 minutes on the court. The Bobcats have now lost nine games in a row and are spiraling towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference. It is still early, but they are digging themselves into quite a hole if they want to make it back into the playoffs.

Cavaliers 109 (8-7), Pacers 97 (7-10)

The Cavs have climbed their way back above .500 and are now riding a three-game winning streak after previously losing four in a row. They took down the Pacers thanks to Kevin Love (28 points, 10 rebounds, 9-13 from the field) coming alive and looking like the player Cleveland was expecting when they signed him this summer. He took quality shots, knocked down a couple treys and pulled down double-digits boards. With Anderson Varejao (rib contusion) sidelined, Kyrie Irving (24 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks) and Tristin Thompson (13 points, 11 rebounds) each notched double-doubles while LeBron James (19 points, 7 assists) acted as the facilitator for most of the night. With Roy Hibbert (ankle) still sidelined, Ian Mahinmi (7 points, 10 rebounds) got the start again and grabbed 10 rebounds. Mahinmi, along with David West (14 points, 6 rebounds), struggled to contain the stretch-four Love throughout the night. Lavoy Allen (10 points, 8 rebounds, 5-8 from the field) was active during his 17 minutes of playing time. This game remaining relatively close until the third quarter when James, Love and Thompson took over for Cleveland. After only leading 52-49 at halftime, the Cavs quickly went on a 15-5 run to make it 67-54 in less than four minutes and went on to build that lead to 85-66 towards the end of the quarter. Indiana only managed to shoot 39.2 percent from the field while Cleveland shot 52.6 percent.

Clippers 112 (11-5), Jazz 96 (5-12)

The Clippers have now won four in a row and six of their last seven thanks to a wire-to-wire blowout of the struggling Jazz, who have lost five consecutive games. Los Angeles went 6-1 during this seven-game road trip, showing poise and maturity away from home. Just like Friday’s 102-85 win against the Rockets, Blake Griffin (28 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) and Jamal Crawford (22 points, 4-9 on 3-pointers) led the way with similar stat lines and each reaching the 20-point plateau for a second consecutive night. These two have found their rhythm with Chris Paul (17 points, 10 assists, 2 steals) commanding Doc River’s system and DeAndre Jordan (8 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks) pulling down the boards. The Jazz may be losing, but Gordon Hayward (30 points, 5 rebounds, 11-18 from the field) has been putting up fantastic numbers night in and night out. Now he just needs Trey Burke (3 points, 3 assists, 1-6 from the field) to somehow find his efficiency and the entire team to find their defensive toughness. The Jazz allowed the Clippers to run all over them on their way to shooting 56.2 percent from the field.

Rockets 117 (13-4), Bucks 103 (10-8)

The Rockets outscored the Bucks in all four quarters in their 14-point win, ending the Bucks’ East-best three-game winning streak. James Harden (34 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals) had another dominant performance, taking over in a decisive third quarter when Houston outscored Milwaukee 32-26. During this quarter, Harden torched the Bucks during a seven-minute span in which he scored 17—half—of his 34 points. Harden had plenty of help from his teammates on the night as Donatas Motiejunas (20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) reached the 20-point plateau for the second time this season. Both of those performances have come in the past three games. Jason Terry (18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4-8 on 3-pointers) easily had his best game as a Rocket while Trevor Ariza (14 points, 10 rebounds) earned a double-double in 40 minutes of play time. Someone on the Rockets always had a response every time the Bucks started to cut into the deficit. Milwaukee had plenty of their own offense, as the team persistently got into the lane and drew fouls. While the Rockets hoisted 38 3-pointers, the Bucks put up 35 free throws, making 31 of them. Jabari Parker (19 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 13-14 on free throws) was the main contributor at the line and shot very efficiently. Ersan Ilyasova (18 points) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks) both put up quality shots and made all their free throws. There was a late scuffle between Harden, Antetokounmpo and Larry Sanders (11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks), and they all received technical fouls on the play. The Rockets have a tough test coming up as they will face the 14-2 Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night.

Barkley has never shied away from publicly criticizing MJ (even when it’s done in jest), and the relationship soured as Jordan took offense to Barkley routinely blasting his stewardship of the Charlotte Bobcats (now known by their original Hornets nickname) on television. Per Yahoo! Sports:

“I think that Michael was upset by some of the things I said about the Bobcats,” Barkley said. “Which, number one, they were true. […] I’m gonna be honest, and I’m gonna be fair.”

“First of all, he’s doing a much better job […] When (the Bobcats) were vying for the worst record in NBA history, Michael had not done a good job.”

You can’t win ‘em all, Mike. San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, the 2014 NBA Finals MVP and a Jordan Brand endorsee, teamed up with a kid and took down Michael Jordan and his partner at MJ’s camp.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/michael-jordan-makes-11-straight-shots-camp-video/feed/1SLAMonlineMichael Jordan ‘Cool’ With LeBron James Switching Back to the Number 23http://www.slamonline.com/nba/michael-jordan-cool-lebron-james-switching-back-number-23/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/michael-jordan-cool-lebron-james-switching-back-number-23/#respondMon, 28 Jul 2014 16:35:00 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=330597

Back in 2009, LeBron James wanted the NBA to retire the jersey number 23 out of respect for Michael Jordan. The idea never gained any traction, and LeBron will once

Orlando has looked for supplementary help in free agency this offseason, not major help.

Although Gordon has averaged 15.6 points per game over his 10-year career, his final season in Charlotte was not a good one. He appeared in just 19 games for Charlotte last season and hasn’t started a game since the 2011-12 season.

The Bobcats handed Al Jefferson a 3-year, $51 million contract a year ago, and he proceeded to lead them to the postseason. Charlotte has solid pieces in place to make another Playoff run, but the Bobcats owner, more commonly known as the one and only Michael Jordan, wants to improve the roster before the season kicks off. From ESPN.com:

Jordan said Monday that with three draft picks and more than $13 million to spend in free agency the Hornets are in position to make a “big difference” in upgrading their roster.

“I think we made a difference last year with Big Al [Jefferson] and some of the acquisitions, and I don’t anticipate this year being any different,” Jordan said.

Behind Jefferson, who was recently named third-team All-NBA, Charlotte made the playoffs for the first time since 2010 — the year Jordan took over as majority owner.

Jordan hopes that Jefferson’s success will persuade other big-name free agents to come to Charlotte.

“I always thought Charlotte was a great destination,” Jordan said. “Big Al has proven that you can come here and make a big difference. Hopefully we can look at that and attract some other superstars.

Before he became “Big” Al Jefferson and embarked on an NBA odyssey that took him from the small town of Prentiss, MS, to Boston, Minnesota, Utah and Charlotte, the now-6-10, 289-pound force had plans of becoming the NFL’s next great wide receiver. “I thought I wanted to be the next Jerry Rice,” says Jefferson. The slow-speaking Southerner slips on a pair of size 18 white-on-white Air Force 1s as he speaks after a late-season practice in the Big Apple. “Then I found out how hard you get hit.”

As Jefferson grew taller than his 23 aunts and uncles and countless cousins, he transformed into “Big” Al—a namesake adopted from his deceased father—and took the moves he practiced day in and day out in his grandmother’s backyard to local Prentiss High School. “I come from a big family, the whole town was very close,” Jefferson says of his upbringing. “Everybody knew everybody and it gave the town that family vibe. It was a great experience, everyone in the town came out to support the basketball team. It’s a fun-loving town.”

During his senior year at Prentiss, Jefferson averaged an absurd 42 points, 18 boards and 7 blocks per game and committed to Arkansas to play his college ball. Jefferson had started telling people he would play in the NBA when he was in the seventh grade and began treating basketball as business instead of fun in the ninth grade, which made his college commitment an obvious formality. The 19-year-old became one of the last prep-to-pro players when he was selected 15th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2004 Draft.

Big Al only spent three seasons in Boston but his time with the Celtics may have been the most impactful of his career. Along with Jefferson, the Celtics also welcomed Doc Rivers to the organization in ’04. While Jefferson was learning the ropes and rigors of NBA life, Rivers handed the big man a DVD full of Moses Malone footage to study. “When I got the tape, I had heard his name but I wasn’t familiar with him as a player,” says Jefferson. “I knew Doc Rivers gave me that DVD and wanted me to watch it for a reason. I watched it, and I understood why he wanted me to watch it; my game is so similar to [Malone’s]. He wasn’t an above the rim-type player, like I’m not. He was a guy that was always in position to rebound, had great footwork which reminded me a lot of myself.”

Jefferson struggled his first two seasons in the League, but became a fixture on the left block during year three in the Celtic offense. Averaging 16 points and 11 boards, Jefferson’s offense consisted of Moses-esque below the rim moves that are still the core of his offensive prowess. Jefferson’s right-handed baby hook, baseline dropstep and nifty up and under move he picked up while studying Malone still terrorize opposing big men 10 seasons later.

While Rivers schooled Jefferson on the nuances of playing in the post in the film room, Jefferson got his on-court education from teammate and future Hall of Famer Paul Pierce. “Paul Pierce is a true leader, man,” says Jefferson. “He worked his ass off, he’s one of those guys that’s always working. I tell ya, he’s the reason why I got one of the best ball fakes in the game right now, I stole one of his ball fakes.”

As Jefferson was beginning to make his mark on the Celtics, management decided that the team’s best bet to become a championship contender during The Truth’s prime was to make a major move to shake up the roster. Being that he was the team’s best young asset, Jefferson was shipped to Minnesota as part of the package for Kevin Garnett and the rest, as they say, is history.

Trades in the NBA often flip a player’s life upside down; guys have to unsuspectingly pack up their belongings and move their families and start anew. It’s often a rough transition for a young man, but Jefferson looked at the trade from a different perspective. “It was an honor, man. I’ll be able to tell my grandkids one day that I was traded for a Hall of Famer,” says Jefferson in his deep southern drawl. “By that time I was very aware of the business and understood that teams were going to do what it takes to win. For Kevin McHale to say he wasn’t going to trade Kevin Garnett unless he got me was an honor.”

In Minnesota, Jefferson became the best big man no one was talking about. A walking double-double during the 2008-09 season, Jefferson averaged a career-high 23.1 points and 11 rebounds before tearing his ACL in a February game against the New Orleans Hornets. Along with his major injury, Jefferson and the Timberwolves failed to make the Playoffs during his three seasons with Minnesota.

“It was fun, we were getting our butt kicked every night, though,” says Jefferson of his time up North. “We were a young team, we didn’t expect to be very good but we played hard. When they fired Randy Wittman and Kevin McHale took over, we were playing well and on the rise but I tore my ACL and Kevin McHale didn’t come back. The third year it was all bad because we brought in a new coach and were running a Triangle Offense but didn’t have Triangle-type players. Then I moved on to Utah.”

Jefferson joined Utah during the 2010 offseason in a trade to another small-market team. His time with the Jazz only brought about more instability. Big Al’s stats dipped a bit and he got caught in the middle of a toxic locker room when Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan began to feud. Eventually, the spat got so bad that Sloan resigned and Williams was traded in February of 2011.

The Jazz did make the Playoffs in 2012, but once Al Jeff’s contract was up following the next season, it was clear that Utah was going young and rebuilding. Jefferson saw the writing on the wall and knew it was once again time to move on. For the first time in his career, Big Al entered free agency.

While many NBA players make club appearances, sign non-basketball related brands for endorsements and invest in the lavish lifestyle that their salaries provide, Jefferson is about as low-key a player you can find. He isn’t on Twitter or Instagram, he pushes an ’86 Chevy Donk, he gives back to his community by holding free basketball camps during the summer and hasn’t had a dustup since a 2010 DWI arrest landed him in the tabloids.

In fact, it seems Jefferson’s lone vice is sleep, which he feeds with a massive, 10×12-foot custom-made bed that he bought for a hefty $23,000 while in Utah. When Jefferson made the decision to sign with Charlotte, few could predict that the impact he would have on the franchise would be as big as the bed he sleeps in every night.

With a young roster and a new head coach in longtime NBA assistant Steve Clifford, the Charlotte Bobcats were desperate to make a splash in free agency and speed up the rebuilding process instead of winding up in the Lottery again. Frankly, after compiling a dismal 28-120 record over the previous two seasons under Paul Silas and Mike Dunlap, the Bobcats were tired of losing.

Unfortunately for the Bobcats, a losing franchise in a small market like Charlotte is usually not at the top of the list for guys at the top of the free-agent wire. Players want marketing opportunities that are found in big cities, not in places like North Carolina where the Bobcats played a total of zero national television games this regular season.

So when news leaked last July that the Cats were bringing in Big Al with a three-year, $41-million deal, most scoffed that Jefferson was simply coming into town for a paycheck and was ill-suited to turn Charlotte’s fortunes around. To the media, basketball enthusiasts and the like, the Bobcats were only digging themselves deeper into salary cap hell and the signing of a traditional back-to-the-basket player wouldn’t result in wins or put asses in seats.

Quite the contrary.

Jefferson has been a godsend for the franchise. Over the regular season, Al averaged 21.8 points and 10.8 boards per game, and more than that, he led the team to the Playoffs for just the second time in the franchise’s 10-year history. Jefferson feasted on the East’s big men and was arguably the best player in the NBA not named Kevin Durant after the All-Star break (he averaged 24.7 points and 10.6 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field in March), all while becoming a media darling and one of the feel-good stories of the season. What a difference 10 months makes, huh? “I chose Charlotte because I liked the new coaching staff and the winning attitude Coach Clifford was bringing here,” says Jefferson. “I liked the young pieces that were already here and the veteran guys that were already here, I thought we had a chance to turn things around quick. As of right now, we have.”

Not only is Jefferson dominating on the block, he is also taking on a leadership responsibility and is genuinely loved by his teammates and coaches. Playing on a young team, the 29-year-old Jefferson brings veteran experience and mentorship for guys like Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist—just like The Truth did for him a decade ago. “He’s a great person, high-character,” says Clifford. “He’s a terrific teammate. He’s very personable and he cares, he really wants the franchise to turn it around. He’s taken the responsibility of being a leader and doing that very seriously.”

Long a defensive sieve in the paint, Jefferson has worked with Clifford to change that. And while Big Al will likely never wind up on the All-Defensive team, a noticeable improvement has been made and the Bobcats finished fourth in the NBA in points allowed per game. “[He] tries hard, and then he’s intelligent,” says Clifford. “If you try hard and you’re intelligent, you can be a good team defender. He also has good basketball instincts that help him a lot.”

Along with prodding from Clifford, Jefferson works exclusively with assistant coach Patrick Ewing who has been instructing Jefferson on the intricacies of interior defense. “One thing about Pat is when I got here, he wanted me to get my defense where my offense is,” says Jefferson. “That’s one of the things we’re always talking about improving on.”

Today’s NBA stars were groomed from a young age to play on the perimeter regardless of size due to shift in the style of play and reliance on the three-point shot. Add to that, big-time dunks fill arenas, sell jerseys and lead to endorsement deals while nifty post moves and 15-foot bank shots take teams off national television and onto League Pass no-man’s land. Jefferson is the last of a dying breed, a high-paid big man who rarely strays from the left block and relies on footwork, head fakes and positioning to get his numbers. He may never get the respect he deserves—he didn’t even sniff the All-Star Game—but you cannot deny the results. In just one season, Jefferson has taken a team from worst to the Playoffs. How’s that for chasin’ a check?

Looking toward the future, this year’s post-season appearance may be the start of something big for the Charlotte franchise. Starting next season, the Bobcats will be rebranded as the Charlotte Hornets and Jefferson will be the man in the middle of it all. “Our fanbase has gotten better and better but I also know there’s some true, die-hard Hornets fans that don’t come and see the Bobcats. We had a ceremony [this season] to unveil the new logo and the arena was packed. I think the city of Charlotte is looking forward to the Hornets coming back.”

Suffering from a plantar fascia injury that occured in Game 1 of this best-of-seven playoff series against the Miami Heat, Jefferson wasn’t well enough to participate in any of morning shootaround. The Heat lead 3-0 with a chance to close out tonight.

Coach Steve Clifford sent out all the signals that playing Jefferson tonight might not make sense.

“He couldn’t do anything this morning. I would say it’s doubtful he’d be able to play,” Clifford said.

If Jefferson can’t play, Clifford said he would start Bismack Biyombo tonight. Biyombo has played a total of 15 minutes in the first three games of this series.

More than likely rookie Cody Zeller would inherit a majority of the minutes Jefferson normally plays.

Asked about his level of pain, Jefferson said, “This has been like stepping on nails. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.”

Jefferson has clearly been the Bobcats’ Most Valuable Player this season, averaging 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds. He was central to the Bobcats more than doubling their win total this season and reaching the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history.

“Regardless of what happens (tonight), this has been a wonderful season,” Jefferson said. “We need to continue to build and continue to get better.”

The Heat ran away with Game 3 against the Bobcats last night, and during the W, LeBron James turned a regular fast break into a bit of news when it looked as if he was staring down Michael Jordan en route to a monster dunk. Tough to tell if he’s peeping at the Bobcats’ bench or the team’s owner, though. What do you think?

UPDATE: LeBron says he absolutely didn’t stare at MJ during the dunk, per the Palm Beach Post:

“No,” he said without hesitation. “Don’t start that. Absolutely not, man. Absolutely not. I was able to read (Josh) McRoberts, get a steal and push the lead back up. I absolutely didn’t look at M.J., for sure.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/lebron-james-stares-bobcats-bench-michael-jordan-en-route-dunk-video/feed/23SLAMonlineLeBron James Would Retaliate to Hard Fouls if This Was the 1980shttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-retaliate-hard-hits-1980s/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/lebron-james-retaliate-hard-hits-1980s/#commentsFri, 25 Apr 2014 20:35:18 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/online/?p=320776

“If it was the ’80s, then I come up swinging,” James said Friday, “but it’s not the ’80s.

“I mean too much to our team and I can’t do that. Me being out of the game hurts us more than it’s going to hurt the other team. So I got to keep my composure. I get frustrated at times, but I understand how much I mean to this team and me being in the locker room ain’t helpful.”

James went to the floor briefly, struggling to catch his breath, after being hit in the neck by Charlotte forward Josh McRoberts with 50 seconds remaining in Miami’s 101-97 Eastern Conference first-round Game 2 victory on Wednesday night.

Ruled a common foul by officials at the time, the play was upgraded to a Flagrant 2 excessive contact penalty after the league reviewed the play Thursday. McRoberts, who said the hit to the throat was unintentional, was fined $20,000 but not suspended.

“I understand there’s going to contact on my drive, and if it’s the right call then I’m OK with it,” James said. “And if it’s not …

“What frustrates me is when I go home and watch other games … last night I watched the Golden State-(Los Angeles) Clippers late game and there were three flagrant fouls called that got checked. My foul didn’t even get checked, and it was a crucial point of the game.”

“It feels like we’ve been down this road four or five times already this year,” Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said after Friday’s practice. “We just want there to be a better vigilance, awareness of those plays. LeBron is an attack player. He should not be penalized for his aggressiveness, the size and speed of his drives at the rim.

“We’re all fortunate that that play could have been nuch worse. And it’s not the first time it happens.”

“Whether we agree or disagree with the league or not, we’re acknowledging that it’s not an easy play to make,” Spoelstra said. “We’re not going into this game looking for retribution. There’s not going to be a retaliation, but there is going to be more attacks.”

Charlotte Bobcats forward Josh McRoberts has been fined $20,000 for making unnecessary and excessive contact with Miami Heat forward LeBron James, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

The foul against McRoberts, which occurred with 50 seconds remaining during the Heat’s 101-97 win over the Bobcats on April 23, at AmericanAirlines Arena, has been upgraded to a Flagrant 2.

The Charlotte Bobcats were desperate to steal a road win in Miami, and did all they could to get it, but LeBron James (32 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists) was still too much and gave the Heat a commanding 2-0 series lead.

Miami Heat starting point guard Mario Chalmers has a bruised left knee, and he’s listed as questionable for tonight’s Game 2 against the Charlotte Bobcats. Per the Miami Herald:

Chalmers was limited in practice Tuesday and will be reevaluated by team trainers before Wednesday morning’s shootaround and then again before Game 2 of the first-round playoff series. The Heat defeated the Bobcats 99-88 on Sunday at AmericanAirlines Arena to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. Wednesday’s Game 2 is at 7 p.m. (TNT, Sun Sports).

“He still has that bruise on his knee and we’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of Chalmers. “He did make progress from [Monday].”

Chalmers injured his knee during the first quarter Sunday but stayed in the game. He was limited to 25 minutes and only played two minutes in the fourth quarter. Reserve point guard Norris Cole responded to Chalmers’ injury with a solid effort off the bench. He played 28 minutes and scored seven points.

If Chalmers is held out of Wednesday’s game, either Cole or Toney Douglas would be inserted into the starting lineup. Douglas started for Dwyane Wade for nine straight games in April. Elevating Douglas to starter in place of Chalmers would allow Spoelstra to keep his second unit intact.

Charlotte Bobcats center Al Jefferson hurt his left foot late in the first quarter of the 99-88 Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat. Jefferson gutted it out, but he was clearly not himself on the court, and the Heat took advantage. Per the Miami Herald:

Bobcats center Al Jefferson made his first four shots in Game 1 on Sunday before aggravating a plantar fascia strain to his left foot late in the first quarter, forcing him to the locker room briefly.

“I heard something pop,” he said.

After he returned, Jefferson moved gingerly at times, missed eight of his 13 shots the rest of the game and scored just four of his 18 points in the second half.

“I missed a couple of shots I normally make because I didn’t want to put a lot of pressure on it,” Jefferson said. “It was an uncomfortable feeling.”

Jefferson, who had 10 rebounds, received pain-killing shots when he sustained the injury and again at halftime.

“When it happened, it was a lot of pain,” he said. “As the game went on, it eased up. I’ve got to suck it up. I’ll be fine for the remainder of the playoffs. I don’t know all of the details, but I know I’ll be OK. Just something you’ve got to play through.”

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra made Jefferson move around more by replacing Udonis Haslem with James Jones 4:09 into the third quarter, forcing Jefferson to chase Chris Bosh to the three-point line and allowing the Heat to spread the floor.

“You could tell [Jefferson] was out there playing on one leg,” Bosh said. “Once we saw that, we wanted to go at him.”

“He wasn’t close to himself” after the injury, Bobcats head coach Steve Clifford said. “I don’t know if there is one team in the league that is more dependent on one guy than how we are dependent on him. So much of his game is his quickness and pivoting. It changes his post moves. You could see it slow down his game, but he fought hard.”

In his first public comments since sustaining the sprained ligament in his left knee that sidelined him for the last 21 games, Nene expressed a desire to wipe away any rust and test his endurance during the Wizards last five games before entering the high-intensity environment of the NBA postseason.

“At some point I need to play. I’ll play a little bit (Wednesday) and test my body and my knee and see where I am,” Nene said while holding a red, blue and black knee brace. “I tried pushing myself, and they say I look good, but for me that’s not enough. For me, it’s a process of getting back where I left off.”

That process is expected to begin Wednesday, when the Wizards host Charlotte in its biggest game of the season. With Washington holding a one-game lead on the Bobcats for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and the tiebreaker up for grabs, the Wizards expect Wednesday’s contest to feature the type of physical play that typically surfaces in the postseason — a setting Washington hasn’t competed in since 2008.

“We’re fighting for a seed, so it’s basically a playoff game,” Wizards guard John Wall said. “[Nene] will probably be on a minutes restriction, but I think just the presence of having him out there and seeing how hard he worked in fighting to come back [will] give our team another boost.”

Before going down with his knee injury in a Feb. 23 victory against Cleveland, Nene had put together his best string of play this season, amassing double-digit points in 15 straight games, including a 30-point, seven-rebound effort against New Orleans in his last full contest.

Nene’s elevated play didn’t always translate in the standings — the Wizards went 7-8 in that stretch – but it did result in wins against playoff contenders Golden State, Oklahoma City and Portland and built enough momentum for a stretch of nine victories in 10 games heading into March.

Since then, the Wizards have added Drew Gooden and Andre Miller and eased Al Harrington back into the rotation following his own knee injury.

Following reports that he was unhappy with his situation in Cleveland (reports he thoroughly denied), Kyrie Irving had a monster game against the Charlotte Bobcats, scoring 44 points, grabbing 7 boards and dishing 8 assists in a loss. Highlights of his performance are above.

The Magic used a big 4th quarter run to take control of the game and take down the Wolves, who were without Kevin Love (back spasms). Tobias Harris (17 points, 6 rebounds, +26) and Victor Oladipo (16 points, 6 assists, +26) stepped their game up during the final quarter in which the Magic outscored the Timberwolves 28-15. Kyle O’Quinn (14 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks) played big down low while Moe Harless (17 points, 3-3 on 3-pointers) had the long ball going. This young team has a lot of potential if the right pieces can be put together. Ricky Rubio (18 points, 10 assists) had a double-double, as Minnesota fell back down to .500. They have straddled around .500 the entire season. After taking down the Heat in double overtime Friday night, the Timberwolves just seemed to run out of energy down the stretch. They shot 1-15 from deep. The Magic controlled the boards, outrebounding the Wolves 40-30.

Bulls 96 (45-32), Wizards 78 (40-37)

The Bulls had one of their easiest wins of the season, jumping out to a 52-26 lead by halftime. This is a season low in the first half for the Wizards, who watched Trevor Ariza (2 points, 7 rebounds, 1-9 from the field) have one of his worst games of the year. During the 2nd quarter, Washington shot 5-22 (22.7 percent) from the field. For the Bulls, D.J. Augustin (25 points, 6-11 from the field) and Joakim Noah (21 points, 12 rebounds) led the way as they’ve been doing since Luol Deng was traded to the Cavs. These two were responsible for 13 of their team’s first 15 points in the 4th quarter, helping the Bulls take hold of a 91-65 lead. Jimmy Butler (3 points, 6 rebounds, season-high 9 assists) struggled from the field but became a distributor. The Bulls had a 24-16 advantage in assists, as John Wall (20 points, 6 assists) and Bradley Beal (14 points, 5 assists) seemed to be the only Wizards interested in moving the ball. Chicago has now won five games in a row, currently the longest streak in the League.

Bobcats 96 (39-38), Cavaliers 94 (31-47) OT

Behind another strong performance from Al Jefferson (24 points, 15 rebounds, 2 blocks), the Bobcats found a way to clinch their second playoff berth in franchise history. This is the first time Charlotte is above .500 since the fifth game of the season. If the Bobcats find a way to finish around .500, head coach Steve Clifford deserves some serious recognition for Coach of the Year. They were able to pull off the victory in overtime due to some big buckets from Big Al, who scored seven points in overtime. Coming off his triple-double the night before, Kemba Walker (20 points, 7 assists, 3 steals) had another strong showing, making a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left in regulation play to take hold of a 82-80 lead. Kyrie Irving (career-high 44 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 3 steals), though, was having a career game and responded with a jump shot to send the game into overtime. He was playing on another level Saturday night. Other than Dion Waiters (14 points, 3 blocks), Irving had little to no help offensively. Cody Zeller (career-high 11 rebounds) and Jefferson had an impact down low, helping Charlotte outrebound Cleveland 58-51. Chris Douglas-Roberts (9 points, 6 rebounds), who played the entire overtime, has been a great pickup for the Bobcats as he has made an instant impact since joining the team. Jarrett Jack (5 points, 1-8 from the field) has really struggled since being taken out of the starting lineup, now 10-30 from the field since the removal. The seventh-seeded Bobcats have a big game against the sixth-seeded Wizards (40-37) Wednesday night. With the win, they would take the season series 3-1 and take hold of the six seed.

Pistons 115 (28-49), Celtics 111 (23-54)

Even though Detroit is going through a disappointing season, Andre Drummond (19 points, 20 rebounds) has been a bright spot and doesn’t have a clear ceiling yet. By grabbing seven offensive rebounds against the Celtics, Drummond became the first player this century to grab 400 offensive rebounds. The Pistons front office might not be completely sure what to do with Josh Smith (11 points) and Greg Monroe (21 points, 7 rebounds), but Drummond most assuredly will be a part of their team’s future. Pistons guards Brandon Jennings (20 points, 4-8 on 3-pointer) and Rodney Stuckey (team-high 26 points, 10-12 on free throws) provided a huge offensive punch while Celtics rookie guard Phil Pressey (12 points, 11 assists, 2 steals) had a hot start. Pressey assisted on six of the Celtics first seven baskets. Jerryd Bayless (25 points), Jared Sullinger (22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) and Jeff Green (23 points) had big offensive games but struggled picking up fouls, combining for 10 fouls. The Pistons took advantage of this, shooting 30-36 (83.3 percent) form the free throw line. The Celtics used a 12-3 run to start the 2nd quarter t0 take a double-digit lead and eventually take a 65-55 lead into halftime. And after Pressey, Bayless and Sullinger knocked down four 3-pointers in the Celtics’ first seven possessions of the 2nd half, Boston held a 79-60 lead and seemed to be in control. But the Pistons suddenly couldn’t miss, going on a 31-13 run spanning over the 3rd and 4th quarter to take a 100-99 lead. After back-and-forth play the rest of the way, the Pistons closed this one out by holding the Celtics scoreless the final 2:51 and by making their free throws.

Nets 105 (42-34), 76ers 101 (17-60)

Kevin Garnett (10 points, 4 rebounds, 13 minutes) had a impressive game in his return after missing the last 19 games due to back spasms. It might not have been a commanding performance, but KG looked fresh and comfortable being back on the floor. If the Nets want to grind out some victories in the postseason, they will need Garnett to be at his healthiest and toughest. Six total Nets scored in double-figures, as they were led by Deron Williams (19 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds). In the final three minutes of play during which the Nets had to stave off Michael Carter-Williams (12 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) and Hollis Thompson (18 points, 6-8 on 3-pointers), who made two late 3-pointers, D-Will converted a four-point play, handed out two assists and went 3-3 from the free throw line. As a team, Brooklyn controlled the paint, outscoring Philly 60-40 in the paint. The Nets, though, almost blew a huge lead as they led 67-46 early in the 3rd quarter. After Thaddeus Young (20 points, 5 rebounds) led a 13-4 3rd quarter run by the Sixers that allowed them to get back in the game, they eventually got within single-digits late in the game. However, Williams kept the Sixers from making a full comeback. The Nets have a big game Tuesday night against the Heat (52-23), a potential second-round playoff opponent. If the Nets win Tuesday, they will have swept the season series against the reigning champs.

Raptors 102 (45-32), Bucks 98 (14-63)

Toronto might have let Milwaukee hang around in this one, but behind 7-7 free throw shooting to finish the game, the Raptors picked up an ugly win and handed the Bucks their franchise-worse 63rd loss.Without starters Kyle Lowry (knee) and Amir Johnson (ankle), DeMar DeRozan (23 points, 9-10 on free throws) and Jonas Valanciunas (17 points, 13 rebounds) had to carry the load while Greivis Vasquez (26 points, 4 assists, 10-15 from the field) really stepped up his level of play. He hit a 3-pointer midway into the 4th quarter that gave the Raptors a 86-84 lead, a lead they wouldn’t give up the rest of the way. However, Toronto looked like a different, sloppier team during the first half, trailing 56-47 going into the locker room. John Henson (23 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks) was a force during this first half and throughout the game, looking like the player many thought he could be going into this season. Ramon Sessions (13 points, 10 assists) and Jeff Adrien (19 points, 12 rebounds) each posted a double-double. After halftime, the Raptors came out moving the ball much better and went on a 17-4 run to take the lead. They will now get three days of rest before playing the Sixers (17-60) Wednesday night.

Clifford didn’t play Neal in the second half of Saturday’s victory over the Portland Trail Blazers to rest Neal’s sore knee. Since then, Neal has also developed an ankle injury. Walking into the Bobcats’ locker room, Neal was limping noticeably.

“To me, until he can play (effectively), it’s not wise” to use him, Clifford said. “It will hurt us here the next two or three games, but getting him well is the best way to go.”

Neal is the Bobcats’ leading scorer among reserves, at 10.5 points per game. It seemed clear in his last appearance, against the Houston Rockets, that his injuries affected his play: Neal missed all eight of his shot attempts, most of those bouncing off the front rim.

“It was more embarrassing than anything,” Wroten said Wednesday. “But things happen. I got an apology from Jordan. Yeah. … He called my agent.”

Wroten, who is known around the NBA for his vast shoe collection, made highlight reels for the wrong reason when the sole tore off the Air Jordan 10 “varsity red” sneaker on his right foot during a fourth-quarter drive to the basket. The shoes were first released in 2005.

It was the third time in about two weeks an NBA player’s Nike shoes fell apart during a game, after Manu Ginobili and Andrew Bogut also experienced issues with their kicks.

According to Michael Jordan, his old Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson will thrive as president of the New York Knicks. MJ says Jackson will learn on the job, and do so quickly. Per ESPN:

“Phil can do some good things with them because he’s gifted,” Jordan said on Monday. “Phil is fantastic at managing egos and personalities, getting everyone on the same page and maxing out whatever potential is there for what should be the common and ultimate goal.

“Just because he’s never been an executive before doesn’t mean he can’t do that. He’s wanted to do it for a while now, and I know he can do it … so long as he has the necessary pieces in place.”

Jordan, the chairman of the Charlotte Bobcats, said Jackson will learn the landscape of the NBA as an executive quickly. And Jordan, who won six championships with Jackson, is glad to help his old coach short of doing him any favors in a trade with the Bobcats.

“Phil is great,” Jordan said. “He’s very smart. He’ll figure out pretty quickly what needs to get done, and he’ll have plenty of guys in the league willing to help him, myself included.

“The only problem is none of us will be willing to give up great players or draft picks to do that. That’s the part of the job all of us have found pretty difficult, me included. But I wish him luck. I believe in him, and I’m confident anything he does will work eventually.”

Clifford said at shootaround that MKG and Tolliver did precisely what was asked of them: Defend against James’s drives and passes first. But James had an incredible night from 3-point range (8-of-10) that couldn’t be anticipated or stopped.

“Consider the greatness of the player and the sequence of what happened,” Clifford said of James’ 22-of-33 shooting night. “He was in the pick-and-roll most of the time, which is where most of his baskets happened. As the ball was released, if you stopped (the video) and said, ‘Can we live with that shot?’ you’d realize MKG and Tolliver did a good job.

“If there’s somebody who could be blamed for that, then blame me. We did change our coverages somewhat (as the game transpired). You could have flat-out doubled him, but then they would have scored 150. (Kidd-Gilchrist and Tolliver) taking heat for that? No. That’s a coaching decision.”

Clifford added that for the season, James was shooting 34 percent from above the break (essentially the key area), so his 8-of-10 night from 3-point range couldn’t reasonably be expected.

“He’s a phenomenal player who had a phenomenal night,” Clifford concluded. “I just don’t want people saying it was the players’ fault. They actually did a good job.”

Dazzling from inside and out, James put on the best scoring show of his NBA life Monday night, pouring in 61 points — a career high and franchise record — as the Miami Heat beat the Charlotte Bobcats 124-107. It was the eighth straight win for the two-time defending champions, who are starting to roll as the playoffs get near.

James made 22 of 33 shots from the field, including his first eight 3-point attempts.

“The man above has given me some unbelievable abilities to play the game of basketball,” James said. “I just try to take advantage of it every night. I got the trust of my teammates and my coaching staff to go in there and let it go.”

His career best had been 56 points, on March 20, 2005, for Cleveland against Toronto. Glen Rice scored 56 to set the Heat record on April 15, 1995, against Orlando.

James had 24 points at halftime, then added 25 in the third quarter. The record-breaker came with 5:46 left, when James spun through three defenders for a layup that fell as he tumbled to the court.

We’ve known for months that Neal was upset with the situation in Milwaukee. He was kept out of 21 games due to coach’s decision and never given much of a chance to be an impact player in games. During his toughest days in Milwaukee, he generally steered clear of the media or kept his frustration in check while responding to questions — no one wants to let their negative feelings out to the media when they still need to be in the locker room every day.

Ex-Spur Gary Neal returned to his former home for the second time this season, under far better circumstances than his first visit with Milwaukee. A, he actually played meaningful minutes (23); and B, he did something with them, scoring 15 points to give the lagging Bobcats a critical offensive lift on a night they shot just 37 percent.

Neal unloaded on the Bucks — who buried him on the end of the bench after signing him to a two-year deal during the summer — before the game, saying he got out of town ASAP after he was traded to Charlotte.

“I didn’t turn nothing in,” he said. “I got on the plane. I left everything in the house, wrote a (rent) check and I was out of there. I was just getting out of a shootaround in Milwaukee when I found out. I took out my insoles (from my shoes) and I was out of there.

“I’m excited to be playing meaningful basketball again. After three years of being with the Spurs, with every possession of every game counting I’m just glad to being back to that. I’m a little too old for the tanking situation.”

Following Ben Gordon and the Charlotte Bobcats’ failure to agree on terms for a buyout, the franchise waived the guard just one day after he’d be eligible to play in the postseason with a new team. Ouch. Per NBA.com:

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has requested waivers on guard Ben Gordon. The Bobcats roster now stands at 14 players.

“With the recent acquisition of additional backcourt depth to our roster, we believe this is in the best interests of both parties,” Higgins said. “We want to thank Ben for his contributions over the past two seasons and wish him the best as he moves on in his career.”

Acquired from the Detroit Pistons along with a future first-round draft pick on June 26, 2012, in exchange for Corey Maggette, Gordon played in 94 games for the Bobcats with averages of 10.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 19.6 minutes. Gordon saw action in 19 games this season, averaging 5.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.7 minutes.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Bobcats have completed a deal that sends Luke Ridnour and Gary Neal to Charlotte in exchange for Ramon Sessions and Jeff Adrien, multiple outlets report. The Bobcats were looking to bolster their depth as they make a playoff push, while the Bucks get two expiring contracts as they continue to rebuild.

From ESPN’s Marc Stein:

ESPN has learned that the Bobcats have agreed to take on point guard Luke Ridnour in addition to top trade target Gary Neal. They also convinced the Bucks to absorb the salary of Ramon Sessions.

The final form of the deal, sources said, will send Neal and Ridnour to Charlotte for Sessions and Jeff Adrien.

The Bobcats have been chasing the disgruntled Neal for some time, but Milwaukee balked at a pure Neal-for-Sessions swap because Sessions is making $5 million this season compared to Neal’s $3.25 million.

Adding Ridnour to the trade puts the financial onus back on Charlotte.

Rumors are floating around that the Bobcats are interested in a potential trade for Evan Turner, though nothing appears to be imminent. Per the Charlotte Observer:

Turner, a 6-foot-7 forward, averages 18.1 points and six rebounds this season for the 76ers. He could potentially add the scoring punch the Bobcats need to reach the playoffs for only the second time in their decade-long history.

The question becomes what the Bobcats would be willing to offer, considering Turner would become a restricted free agent this summer. The team with his rights would have to make Turner a qualifying offer of about $8.7 million to restrict him.

The Bobcats have assets they could throw into trades. They could have as many as three first-round picks in what should be a rich 2014 draft – their own and picks potentially owed them by the Portland Trail Blazers and Detroit Pistons.

However, the Bobcats might owe their own pick to the Chicago Bulls (to complete the Tyrus Thomas trade). The picks Detroit and Portland owe Charlotte have some protection; more than likely the Bobcat get Portland’s pick in June. It’s less likely they end up with Detroit’s.

As far as making a Turner trade work under the salary cap, the Bobcats have Ben Gordon’s expiring contract, worth $13.2 million in cap value this season.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/wilson-chandler-hits-anthony-tolliver-with-nasty-crossover-video/feed/3SLAMonlineKemba Walker Missed a Game for the First Time in His Lifehttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/kemba-walker-missed-a-game-for-the-first-time-in-his-life/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/kemba-walker-missed-a-game-for-the-first-time-in-his-life/#commentsFri, 24 Jan 2014 15:20:37 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/online/?p=304901

“I never missed a game in my life. First time,” Walker said of the left ankle sprain that will cost him about two weeks of the season.

Growing up in New York City, then on to Connecticut for college and Charlotte for the NBA, Walker has always prided himself on physical toughness, sometimes to his own detriment. Coach Steve Clifford thought maybe Walker should have missed a game or two after injuring his shoulder earlier this season.

Walker wouldn’t hear of it.

He went 190 NBA games before an injury was severe enough to sit him down. Walker rolled his ankle in Saturday’s loss to the Miami Heat. A replay of the play showed the ball of his joint nearly touching the floor before he fell along the baseline.

“My parents were at work sick, when they didn’t feel like it – through rain, sleet and snow,” Walker recalled. “I get my toughness from them. If I can play, I’m going to play. I probably would have played on this ankle, but I just couldn’t. I definitely pride myself on my toughness.”

The Charlotte Bobcats announced that point guard Kemba Walker is expected to miss 10-14 days due to a sprained left ankle. From the press release:

Walker suffered the injury in the third quarter of (Saturday) night’s game against Miami. X-rays taken at Time Warner Cable Arena following the injury were negative.

Walker has played in all 42 games for the Bobcats this season, averaging team highs of 18.7 points, 5.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 35.7 minutes, along with 4.2 rebounds. He has scored in double figures 37 times, including 18 games with 20 points or more and four games with 30 points or more. He entered today’s games ranked 22nd in the NBA in minutes played, tied for 26th in assists, ranked 27th in scoring and ranked 27th in steals.

He said he’s focused on “trying to fix what’s going on here.” But then Smith questioned again whether his future is with the Knicks after being asked what needed to be fixed.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Smith said. “Take it every day, day by day and figure out what I can do to help the team. If I’m not helping the team, there’s no point in me being here.”

The Knicks flew to Indiana, where they will play the Pacers Thursday. Smith presumably went with them. But when he was asked if he would talk to Woodson or the coaching staff about what’s happening, he said no. “The communication from my end is over,” he said. “I’m going to show by my effort.”

Fans in Charlotte loudly chanted JR Smith’s name in the second half to no avail, and after the Knicks’ five-game winning streak came to an end, the embattled guard raised a few eyebrows by packing a suitcase in front of his locker.

For what it’s worth, Carmelo Anthony said he hopes this will be the last time JR is benched.

Smith is eligible for a trade as of today, but it’s hard to imagine any team being willing to take him on at this point.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/bismack-biyombo-dunks-over-ryan-hollins-video/feed/0SLAMonlineJeff Taylor Out for the Season With Ruptured Achilleshttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/jeff-taylor-out-for-the-season-with-ruptured-achilles/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/jeff-taylor-out-for-the-season-with-ruptured-achilles/#commentsMon, 23 Dec 2013 15:40:51 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/online/?p=301208

Taylor, in his second NBA season, was averaging 8.3 points and 2.4 rebounds. He became a starter eight games ago after teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist suffered a broken left hand in a Dec. 3 road loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Kidd-Gilchrist isn’t expected back until sometime in January. Coach Steve Clifford said recently Kidd-Gilchrist will remain in a cast at least until Dec. 26, when he’ll be re-evaluated medically. Kidd-Gilchrist’s fracture is at the base of his left ring finger.

Evan Turner led the way for the Philadelphia 76ers and brought home the victory in this late-game thriller. With the fourth quarter winding down, Deron Williams had a shot to win the game for the Nets at the buzzer, but it clanked out to the left. This game would need an overtime period to be decided.

In the overtime, Brooklyn again had a chance to stick around with a late game shot from downtown, and with 16.9 seconds left, Paul Pierce knocked it in from downtown to give the Nets a 120-119 lead. Unfortunately for Brooklyn, 16.9 seconds was too long to leave on the clock. With just under six seconds to go, Turner curled around the top of the key for the hand off and drove to the basket to drop in the game-winning layup, leaving no time left on the clock for the Nets to counter.

When it was all said and done, Philadelphia took the victory and Turner led the game with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Thaddeus Young dropped 25, and Tony Wroten came up big off the bench for the Sixers with 19 points in 24 minutes.

Alan Anderson led the Nets with 26 points and 46 minutes, while Pierce totaled 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Brook Lopez put up 22 points on 9-19 shooting from the field. Kevin Garnett and Joe Johnson did not suit up for the Nets in a matchup that Brooklyn could have used them in. Johnson cited personal reasons and Garnett took the game off to rest up.

Hawks 118 (15-12), Jazz 85 (7-22)

The Atlanta Hawks moved the ball well and never seemed to lose control of the tempo in a 118-85 beat down of the Utah Jazz Friday night. Lou Williams was the high-point man in this matchup that favored the Hawks with 25 points, but it was a total team effort.

The Hawks tallied 32 assists and gave up only 10 turnovers in the high-scoring win. Al Horford, who has been playing consistently well for the Hawks, put up 23 points on 11-15 shooting. Every player on the Hawks scored at least a bucket and four players were in double figures. Paul Millsap scored 14 points, snatched 10 rebounds and dished out three assists.

Enes Kanter and Alec Burks were the bright spots for the Jazz who could only muster up 85 total points. Trey Burke and Derrick Favors are still developing, and obviously so, as the two combined for a mere eight points.

Cavaliers 114 (10-15), Bucks 111 (5-21) OT

Coming into the game with a winning record at home, the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by a flu-ridden Kyrie Irving, were able to improve to 8-4 at Quickens Loans Arena in an overtime thriller on Friday night.

Despite nearly vomiting on the sidelines in the fourth quarter while sitting on the bench, Irving led the charge for the Cavaliers with a game-high 39-point performance. Including four free throws in the final seconds of the game to seal the deal. Cleveland shot a paltry 39 percent from the field, but Irving’s antics were enough for them to take home the win in extra time.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Cavaliers stayed close throughout the game, tied 47-47 at halftime, and then, after one of Irving’s lone misses, Tristan Thompson tipped it in to tie the game once again and force OT.

Jarrett Jack scored 17 points for the Cavs, and Andrew Bynum put up 8 points, and 3 blocks in merely 24 minutes. Cleveland had a great game from the charity stripe, knocking down 92 percent of their shots.

Bobcats 116 (13-14), Pistons 106 (13-15)

Kemba Walker had the hot hand on this night, hitting 12-17 from the floor, 50 percent from downtown and a perfect 9-9 from the free-throw line, leading the Charlotte Bobcats with 34 points in a 116-106 win over the Pistons on the road.

Though Walker was the highest scoring player of the night, Al Jefferson altered the game with his 15-point performance in the fourth quarter for the Bobcats. After trailing for most of the game, and found themselves down heading into the final period, but Jefferson began to find his rhythm and buoy the Bobcats down the stretch.

Jefferson ended the game with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Gerald Henderson added 22 points, and Ramon Sessions and Ben Gordon chipped in a combined 20 from off the bench.

Brandon Jennings put up 26 points in the losing effort, with Josh Smith adding 18 points and six rebounds. Andre Drummond also tallied 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

Heat 122 (20-6), Kings 103 (7-18)

This season has been a learning experience of sorts for the Sacramento Kings, and this loss to the Miami Heat was no different, especially for Kings rookie standout Ben McLemore, who was introduced to LeBron James’ midsection after the reigning MVP slammed down a thunderous dunk on the Kings guard.

Sacramento has had trouble with the Heat historically, losing the last nine meetings between the two teams. On this night, the Kings kept the game close at first, going down by only three with just under a minute to go in the first half. But the Miami Heat were clicking, hitting over 61 percent from the field en route to their highest point total of the season (122).

Chris Bosh had the high mark for the Heat, putting up a team-high 25 points and eight rebounds. James totaled 18 points, six rebounds and eight assists. Dwyane Wade added 20 and Ray Allen scored 18 off the bench in the win.

For the Kings, DeMarcus Cousins led the way with 27 point and 8 rebounds. Ben McLemore scored 20 points and got dunked on, while Rudy Gay dropped 17 in the losing effort. The King should be somewhat happy about their effort despite the loss as they shot 58 percent from the field, they just failed to create fast break opportunities and find a rhythm enough to stop a rolling Heat squad.

Pacers 114 (21-5), Rockets 81 (17-10)

After taking a beating on the court and in the court of public opinion over the last week because of their first two back-to-back losses of the season, the Indiana Pacers came up with a resounding victory over the Houston Rockets at home, and at one point were leading the Rockets by as much as 46 points.

It was just one of those nights for Houston as Dwight Howard was one of the only players able to get going offensively. Leading the team, Howard put up 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks. But the other star on the team, James Harden, wasn’t able to get anything to hit. After shooting just 3-14 from the field, Harden only scored 12 points while snatching three steals.

On the other hand, the Pacers were clicking in a game that must have felt sweet after a tough week of losses. Indiana’s defense was tight and their offense was relentless, putting up a season-high 12 shots from downtown and posting their second best field goal percentage all season (53.1). Six players were in double figures in scoring and the team totaled 11 steals and seven blocks.

Suns 103 (15-10), Nuggets 99 (14-11)

The Phoenix Suns rallied back from being down 21-points to overcome the Denver Nuggets in a late-game showdown that saw the Suns come through when it mattered most, in crunch time.

At the 9-minute mark of the final period, it seemed as if the Nuggets had put together a worthy enough body of work that they’d get out of this one alive in the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver. After all, they’d have six players put up double figures in scoring and won the battle down low, outrebounding the Suns by nine. JJ Hickson alone would grab 14 boards.

But it wasn’t enough as the Suns rallied back to tie it up at 88 apiece with 8:25 left in the game. Then, it was all Phoenix from there, as Gerald Green and Markieff Morris would combine for 44 points and 14 rebounds. Green and Morris also sparked the momentum that would seal the win for the Suns. Goran Dragic added 17 points and six assists, and Marcus Morris put up 14 in 26 minutes.

Lakers 104 (13-14), Timberwolves 91 (13-13)

After letting up a 35-point first quarter to a Los Angeles Lakers team that did not feature former scoring champion Kobe Bryant, the Minnesota Timberwolves found themselves trying to get back in the game all night long.

Pau Gasol was a major factor in the Lakers holding off the Timberwolves to end a three-game losing streak at home in the Staples Center. Gasol led the team with 21 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, including a pivotal four-point play in the third quarter in which Gasol was fouled by Corey Brewer while shooting a three pointer. The Lakers also played efficiently, shooting above 53 percent from the field.

Xavier Henry scored 21 points to match Gasol and Nick Young was the high-scoring man for the Lakers with 25 points, shooting 4-6 from downtown. Wesley Johnson added six points and five assists, including a nice one-handed jam in transition.

For the Timberwolves, Kevin Love was the best player on the court scoring a team-high 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. But Love was held scoreless in the fourth quarter and only Nikola Pekovic scored in double digits for Minnesota, who have lost 5-10 on the road this season.

Jameer Nelson missed a chance to tie the game with 3 seconds left after he failed to convert a runner down in Disney World. Following the miss, Gordon Hayward drained two free throws to ice Utah’s win in Orlando to secure the Jazz’s fourth road win of the entire year.

Trey Burke was masterful, dropping a line of 30 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds on the night while Victor Oladipo scored just 3 points on 1-12 shooting for a +/- of -21. Two weeks ago, we had all narrowed down the Rookie of the Year race to just Oladipo and Michael Carter-Williams, but it’s time we put Burke into the mix as well.

Heat (19-6) 97, Indiana Pacers (20-5) 94

Whether or not you consider the Pacers and Heat to be a budding rivalry, these two Eastern Conference powerhouses don’t like each other. It made for yet another great match up, as Indiana dictated the pace for much of the contest.

The Pacers excelled when both Roy Hibbert and LeBron James went to their respective benches for significant time in the second quarter with three fouls apiece. Hibbert would go on to pick up two fouls early in the third quarter as well. Fortunately for Frank Vogel, that’s when Paul George heated up, scoring 12 points in the period. That’s when James and Mario Chalmers got chippy on the Miami bench.

Indiana pushed its lead back to 88-80 with 4:43 remaining, but then things sped up and Miami took control. The Heat rallied off a 16-6 run to take a 95-92 lead on a Ray Allen transition three with 59 seconds left and never looked back.

George and James each were terrific, posting nearing identical lines. George finished with 25 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals while James ended up with 24 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals of his own.

But the question remains, did Paul George get fouled on his missed a three at the buzzer?

Bobcats (12-14) 104, Raptors (9-14) 102

Kyle Lowry drained a three with 12 seconds left to bring Toronto even with Charlotte and send the game into overtime.

At the end of overtime, DeMar DeRozan drove and got fouled by Gerald Henderson with 1.0 second to go in OT, down 102-101. DeRozan, who finished with a game-high 30 points made one of two from the line to tie the game as the Air Canada Center braced for overtime.

But then Kardiac Kemba, who had 29 points of his own, curled off a screen and did the rest:

Pistons (13-14) 107, Celtics (12-15) 106

Jared Sullinger drained a three with 1:00 minute remaining to give Boston 105-104 edge over the visiting Pistons, their first lead since the C’s held an 81-80 at end of the third quarter.

Then, Brandon Jennings answered with a three of his own to put Detroit back up 2 with 46 seconds to go. Jeff Green bricked a right-handed runner as time expired and Detroit escaped unscathed. Detroit overcame a 42-23 deficit at the end of the first quarter following this ridiculous buzzer-beater from Suliinger.

Wizards (11-13) 113, Nets (9-16) 107

Could John Wall make his first All-Star game this season? He has his Washington Wizards in playoff contention for the first time since he arrived in DC and he’s out playing other floor generals like Deron Williams on a nightly basis.

Wednesday, Wall led the Wiz into the Barclays Center and stole one from the surging Brooklyn Nets while posting 21 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. The former Kentucky Wildcat swatted D-Will in the game’s final seconds to clinch the win to top things off.

Hawks (4-12) 124, Kings (7-17) 107

Sacramento had three players score 20 points or more, led by DeMarcus Cousins with 28, but it still wasn’t enough to top the visiting Atlanta Hawks. The road team had six players in double-figures, lead by Kyle Korver. Korver poured in 28 points on 8-10 shooting from three-point land while Al Horford also posted 25, 10 and 5 for the third-place team in the East.

Knicks (8-17) 107, Bucks (5-20) 101

The New York Knicks needed two overtimes to spoil Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first career start in the NBA and defeat the struggling Bucks.

At the end of regulation, John Henson, who finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds, missed a 19-foot jumper with a second remaining and Kris Middleton also bricked his follow.

Then in overtime, the Knicks secured an offensive rebound with 11.3 seconds left and had the ball up two points. But that didn’t stop Andrea Bargnani from being Andrea Bargnani:

Henson’s follow of a Brandon Knight—who led all scorers with 36 points—miss to tie the game at 94 sent it into double-overtime.

From there, New York cruised to a 107-101 victory despite that awful Bargnani decision, Carmelo shooting 9-29 and JR Smith shooting just 7-23. Your ’13-14 Knicks!

Trail Blazers (22-5) 109, Wolves (13-13) 120

Minnesota raced out to an enormous first half lead, at one point holding a 62-30 margin over the NBA’s best. Portland struggled out of the gate in the second night of a tough back-to-back, finding themselves in a 69-43 hole at intermission.

The Wolves came ready to play and their impressive effort started from the frontcourt, with Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic combining for 59 points and 26 rebounds.

But Portland came storming back. Behind Damian Lillard’s 36, 6 and 6, the Blazers outscored the Wolves by 15 in the second half and even cut Minnesota’s lead down to five points with 46 seconds left. Of course, it was too, little too late.

Grizzlies (10-15) 91, Mavericks (15-10) 105

The Mavericks played all 13 of their active players in their 14-point dismantling of the Grizzlies. Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas’ effort with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Memphis has struggled since the calendar flipped from November to December. Without last season’s Defensive Player of the Year, Marc Gasol, out for the 12 consecutive game, the Grizz’s loss drops them to just 2-7 this month.

Bulls (9-15) 94, Rockets (17-9) 109

Without Derrick Rose, the Bulls have struggled mightily on the road. Wednesday’s loss to Houston dropped Chicago to just 2-5 in games away from the United Center without their former League MVP.

Houston dominated the game down low, outscoring Chicago 66-40 in the paint. That effort was largely due to Dwight Howard’s 25 points and an array of nifty drives from James Harden, Chandler Parsons and Patrick Beverley.

Beverley, who scored 15 points and added 3 assists, is averaging 11.0 points per game over his last five while Jeremy Lin has sat out with a back injury.

Pelicans (11-12) 95, Clippers (18-9) 108

When Anthony Davis fractured his left hand against the Knicks on December 1, he was expected to miss four to six weeks with the injury. Instead, The Brow sat just 7 games and came back with a vengeance, scoring 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in 32 minutes off the bench.

But, the Clippers and Doc Rivers’ high-octane was too much for the visiting Pelicans. Los Angeles had 7 players in double-figures, led by Blake Griffin who finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds. DeAndre Jordan was also huge for the Clips, grabbing 20 boards to go along with his 14 points.

After curling around an Al Jefferson screen, Kemba Walker faded back and swished a high-arching jumper to give the Charlotte Bobcats a stunning 104-102 win in Toronto. Per the AP:

Walker had 29 points and Al Jefferson had 24 points and 11 rebounds as the Bobcats won their second straight.

Jefferson joked that Walker, who missed a pair from the line with 11 seconds left, had done so intentionally to set up the dramatic finish.

“Kemba, he lives for those shots,” Jefferson said. “I really think he missed those free throws on purpose so we could be in that situation, because that’s what he lives for. That’s what he does. He’s been doing that his whole life.”

Walker, who was stripped on the final play of the fourth quarter before missing the key free throws in overtime, said he was eager for the chance at redemption.

“I wanted the basketball,’ he said. “I wanted to make that shot. I was just happy to get the opportunity.”

The Charlotte Bobcats announced today that swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts has been inked (the team then waived James Southerland.) From the press release: “Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Douglas-Roberts, who was playing with the NBA D-League Texas Legends, becomes the fifth D-League Gatorade Call-Up of the 2013-14 season. A four-year NBA veteran, the 6-7 Douglas-Roberts has played in 161 career games for the Nets, Bucks and Mavericks. He has career averages of 7.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 20.3 minutes, while shooting .442 from the field (458-1036) and .833 from the free-throw line (265-318). Douglas-Roberts was selected by the Nets with the 40th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. […]Southerland signed with the Bobcats on September 5, 2013, after not being selected in the 2013 NBA Draft. He saw action in one regular-season game, playing three minutes.”

Charlotte Bobcats point guard Kemba Walker scored the team’s final 15 points last night, as he led them to a tough, 115-111 win over the visiting Golden State Warriors (and Steph Curry’s 43 points.) Kemba finished with 31 points and 5 assists.

The Charlotte Bobcats announced on Wednesday that forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will be out for the next 4-6 weeks, after suffering a a non-displaced fracture of the fourth metacarpal in his left hand on Tuesday night in Dallas. From the press release: “Kidd-Gilchrist, who was examined on-site last night, had additional x-rays taken this morning in Charlotte that confirmed the original diagnosis. In 18 games this season, Kidd-Gilchrist is averaging 9.1 points on .500 shooting (62-124) and 5.3 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per game.”

“Kidd-Gilchrist was diagnosed with a fractured left hand he suffered in the second half. He’ll be re-evaluated in Charlotte Wednesday, but he left American Airlines Center in a cast, his middle two fingers taped together. Kidd-Gilchrist indicated it’s the ring finger on his left hand that was injured. ‘I looked down at my finger and it was (pointing) the wrong way,’ said Kidd-Gilchrist, adding he isn’t sure just when or how he hurt himself. This is the fourth broken hand in about a week’s time in the NBA. New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, Kidd-Gilchrist’s Kentucky teammate and close friend, has the same injury as do the Clippers’ J.J. Redick and the Nets’ Paul Pierce. The Bobcats have one of the NBA’s best defenses – this was the 11th straight time they’ve held an opponent under 100 points, best in the league – and Kidd-Gilchrist plays a huge role in that. Coach Steve Clifford has often said his team’s great strength is that wing players Kidd-Gilchrist, Jeff Taylor and Gerald Henderson can guard effectively without needing much help from teammates. ‘That’s a big hit,’ Clifford said. ‘Foul trouble has limited his minutes some lately, but he’s been really good. If you watched him from the summer to now, there’s been a lot of progress since Vegas (summer league). He can be an elite defender in this league. He’s very bright.'”

Fear not. Next season, when the Bobcats officially become the Charlotte Hornets again, the team’s iconic purple and teal uniforms will be back. From the press release and Charlotte Observer: “The Charlotte Bobcats announced (Sunday) that the team will utilize purple and teal as its primary colors when it changes its name to the Charlotte Hornets prior to the 2014-15 NBA season. The colors, which were used by the original Charlotte Hornets during their tenure in the city from 1988-2002, will be accented by secondary colors black, cool gray and light blue. ‘It was important to us to acknowledge the heritage of the Charlotte Hornets when bringing the name back to the market,’ said Bobcats Sports & Entertainment Chairman Michael Jordan. ‘The purple and teal color scheme was instantly recognizable as being associated with the original Hornets and we felt it was only appropriate to utilize the colors once again with this historic brand.’ As part of the survey process prior to the decision to change the name, Harris Interactive surveyed the Charlotte community, as well as current season ticket holders and team sponsors. In each of the three groups, an overwhelming majority of those surveyed were in favor of using the purple and teal of the original Hornets as the colors of the rebranded team. […] One interesting point about the accent colors: that ‘light blue’ looks an awful lot like Carolina blue, a color Bobcats owner Michael Jordan wore as one of the Tar Heels’ all-time best players. ‘We understand it’s an important color to the region,’ said Pete Guelli, the Bobcats’ chief marketing officer, of the blue shade. ‘It scored high in our survey and was part of the original Hornet color palette. The Bobcats are still working on new uniforms and logos. While no final decisions have been made, next season’s uniforms probably won’t be replicas of the originals, with pleats and such. ‘Clearly there would have been some evolution for any brand over 23 years. There would be some evolution of what the look would be,’ Bobcats President Fred Whitfield said. ‘We’re being very deliberate to make sure our uniform design is something our fans would be excited about, and also have a current look and feel.’ Julian, a national clothing designer who grew up in Chapel Hill, advocated the teal-and-purple color scheme when then-team owner George Shinn asked him to design the prototype uniforms. By 1995, Hornets gear was the hottest seller in the NBA. Charlotte Hornets ‘legacy’ items sold by the NBA are still big sellers among young consumers. The Bobcats have already seen new revenue from the name change. There’s been an uptick in season-ticket sales – an 89percent renewal rate, plus about 2,000 new season-ticket equivalents.”

Having sat out the two previous games with a sprained left ankle, Deron Williams returned and promptly hurt the joint again after landing on Kemba Walker’s foot in the second quarter last night. Per Newsday: “He’s just as frustrated as we are,’ Paul Pierce said after the 95-91 loss to Charlotte. ‘Obviously, he’s been dealing with this all summer and then one ankle gets better and he hurts the other one. You have to talk to him to really understand his frustration, but we’re also frustrated for him.’ With just more than three minutes left in the second quarter, Williams landed on Kemba Walker’s foot as he followed through on a jumper. Williams, fouled on the play by Walker, tried to walk it off and took the free throws. But after Williams made both, the Nets fouled on the ensuing possession to get him out of the game.”

Pictures of MJ showing off his beer pong skills began to circulate around the web this week, and of course, TMZ has unearthed video footage of His Airness dominating some bros in the drinking game while hanging out in Miami.

Charlotte announced on Friday that head coach Steve Clifford was hospitalized last night — the Bobcats are hopeful that Clifford will be back on the sidelines to face the New York Knicks tonight. From the press release: “Bobcats Head Coach Steve Clifford went to the hospital last night after not feeling well. As a precaution, he was held overnight and is undergoing additional tests this morning. His status for tonight’s game will be determined later today.”

Charlotte Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has fallen victim to an impatient society. Fresh off a 2011 National Championship run with the University of Kentucky, MKG went through a relatively common first season in the NBA playing on a bad Bobcats team—suffering more downs than ups, but showing flashes of promise that, with enough work, could become routine.

During the ’12-13 season, the 6-7 forward averaged 9 points, 5.8 boards and 1.5 dimes per game while shooting right around 46 percent from the field. Decent numbers, but certainly not the impact some had in mind for the No. 2 overall pick—especially when other rookies like Portland point guard Damian Lillard and Golden State forward Harrison Barnes impressed immediately.

Following his rookie year, Kidd-Gilchrist was one of the few second-year players under contract to play in the Summer League, and after a less than stellar Sin City showing, the dreaded “bust” label started to creep MKG’s way.

A word to the wise: relax.

During Tuesday night’s 102-97 win over the Knicks, Kidd-Gilchrist showed why fans and media alike shouldn’t be criticizing his game but embracing the rise of a player who, in due time, will be one of the more versatile players in the League. In the first quarter alone, MKG had an assist, an offensive rebound, hit two free throws, ran the break for an easy layup, forced a turnover, played relentless defense on Carmelo Anthony, and, most impressively, chased down Melo on a fast break layup for a block, scooped the ball up and went coast-to-coast for a layup of his own.

Despite sitting for most of the third quarter thanks to a bloody nose, Kidd-Gilchrist finished with 16 points on 5-7 shooting, 8 boards, 3 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal, and a plus/minus of +11. The second-year pro also held Melo to 32 points on 28 shots and, along with Kemba Walker, was the most fun player to watch on the court.

MKG’s stat line was very similar to what Warriors forward Andre Iguodala posts on a nightly basis. Coincidentally, Iguodala, who has been a stat-sheet stuffer throughout his career, is a player who MKG mimics on the court.

“I watch Andre Iguodala a lot,” says Kidd-Gilchrist. “He’s not the best shooter on the court, but he does all the little things. I talk to him a lot also and I think that’s really helped me a lot this year so far.”

In an even more coincidental twist, Iguodala’s rookie averages of 9.0 points on 49 percent shooting, 5.7 boards, and 3.0 assists are nearly identical to MKG’s rookie line.

Where MKG struggles in jump shooting and playmaking, he makes up for in effort, energy and defense. During Tuesday night’s game at the Garden, the Jersey native was all over Anthony like a cheap suit, hounding the perennial All-Star both in the post and on the perimeter.

“There’s no more efficient offensive player than Carmelo Anthony, and Mike did such a great job on him,” says Bobcats head coach Steve Clifford. “[Mike’s] individual defense and post defense was terrific.”

At 6-7, with long arms and a high-motor, MKG is already emerging as a lockdown defender and tallies enough hustle points, tipped balls and forced turnovers to make any head coach salivate.

At just 20 years old, Kidd-Gilchrist is the fifth youngest player in the NBA. Though he hasn’t had his first legal drink yet, the Bobcats coaching staff is already lauding his work ethic and improvement.

“Since July, his growth has been terrific,” says Clifford. “He’s a much, much better player than he was in July. He’s put a ton of work in and not just with his shooting, but in the weight room, his conditioning, everything.”

The biggest knock on MKG’s game is his awkward jump shot. To help improve this glaring weakness, MKG worked with former sharpshooter and current Bobcats assistant Mark Price on his shot. MKG is already so good at getting to the rack thanks to his strength and length, so if he can add even a respectable jump shot to his arsenal either this season or in the future, he will be one of the top two-way players in the NBA.

Playing in just his second year in the NBA, and learning on the fly, Mike Kidd-Gilchrist has a long way to go. With a tireless work ethic and all the natural ability in the world, there’s no doubt that he’ll reach the NBA’s elite eventually. Instead of worrying about all the things MKG isn’t, appreciate everything he is and enjoy watching a player who genuinely loves the game of basketball.

“I’ve been having fun this year,” says Kidd-Gilchrist. “I’m playing the game I love and whatever happens, happens. I’m not focused on scoring or anything this year, I’m just going out there and playing and that’s it.”

Per Concierge Auctions: “Set on 7.39 immaculately landscaped acres just north of Chicago, the longtime personal residence of Michael Jordan offers the ultimate in privacy and luxury. This secluded compound includes 56,000 square feet of living space, with 9 bedrooms, 15 full bathrooms and, as one might expect from this basketball legend, a regulation-size, NBA-quality basketball court — all surrounded by a living fence of 150 mature evergreens, creating an envelope of unparalleled privacy.”

The New York Knicks confirmed the fears surrounding Tyson Chandler’s knee injury on Tuesday night — the big fella is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks. Chandler won’t need surgery, but this is a tough, early-season blow for the struggling Knickerbockers:

During last night’s game versus Charlotte, Knicks center Tyson Chandler suffered a small non-displaced fracture of the right fibula.

Miami Heat superstar LeBron James recently said that he wishes he had a relationship with his childhood idol, Michael Jordan. The Charlotte Bobcats owner says he’d be happy to sit and build with LBJ — who Jordan considers the League’s best player — and provide him with basketball advice (even though, technically, they’re NBA rivals.) Per the AP: “Sure, I would be willing to talk to a bunch of the kids,’ Jordan said. ‘And actually I do. I don’t advertise it because I don’t want it to be misconstrued or to be viewed as tampering with other stars. I’m in a more difficult position than other owners because it can be viewed in a different way. But I’ve always welcomed an opportunity to talk to anybody, LeBron included.’ Jordan, a six-time NBA champion and the owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, said he’s mentored other players but has kept it on the ‘down low’ because he doesn’t like to publicize his efforts. He wouldn’t name the players, but said there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to help the game. ‘I was very moved to see (Lebron) said that. But I’m not the type that is going to chase down today’s athletes,’ Jordan said. ‘If you welcome conversation or insight from me, I’m here and I’m always going to be receptive of that. I will do what I can to better the player for the game of basketball and not give them bad information because he’s with the Heat and I have a team over here. I’m about the game of basketball and I would give feedback to improve them as a basketball player,’ Jordan said, then added, laughing, ‘even though it may cost my team a chance at the end of the game.'”

With a loaded 2014 NBA Draft on the horizon, tanking is under a large microscope this season. According to Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, that strategy isn’t something his team is willing to consider: “The Bobcats owner scoffed at the idea Friday, telling The Associated Press, ‘I don’t know if some teams have thought of that. That’s not something that we would do. I don’t believe in that.’ He then laughed heartily, saying, ‘If that was my intention I never would have paid Al Jefferson $13 million a year.’ Jordan won six NBA titles as a player, but Charlotte is 62-168 in his three full seasons as majority owner. The 2014 NBA draft could be loaded with talented players like Andrew Wiggins at Kansas and Duke’s Jabari Parker.”

Look away, Lakers fans! Dwight Howard looked fit, healthy and aggressive in his Houston Rockets debut, scoring 17 points and pulling down a career-high 26 rebounds. The Rockets took care of the Charlotte Bobcats 96-83. Per Yahoo! Sports: “When I stood there and looked around, I thought to myself, ‘I’ve got an amazing opportunity here, and I’m not going to let it go to waste,’ Howard said. ‘It hit me there: This is what I chose. This is what I decided to do.’ He smiled a knowing smile, nodded and repeated himself. ‘I’m not going to let it go to waste,’ Howard said … ‘I wanted to get 30 rebounds,’ Howard said. ‘I was upset I didn’t do it.'”

The point guard battle in Houston has been won by Patrick Beverley, sending Jeremy Lin to the bench. Rockets head coach Kevin McHale wouldn’t tell the media who would start tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats, but Chandler Parsons spilled the beans. Per CSN Houston: “I don’t know why it’s a big surprise,’ Parsons said. ‘It’s the same as how the preseason ended.’ That means Patrick Beverley will not only make his first opening night roster, he’ll be making his first opening night start. ‘I haven’t had the fortune to play in the NBA on opening night,’ Beverley said. ‘It’s going to be my first. I’m definitely excited.’ It also means the twin towers experiment of Omer Asik and Dwight Howard will be used to tipoff the season. This year’s starting five: Beverley, James Harden, Parsons, Howard and Asik. The experience level of their starting lineup will be drastically different from a year ago. The starting five last year was Asik, Marcus Morris, Parsons, Harden and Jeremy Lin.”

When told that Robert Pera wanted to play him in a game of 1-on-1 for charity (and posterity), Michael Jordan found the suggestion “comical”, and said he won’t do it because it’s obviously a lose-lose situation for him. Per the Charlotte Observer: “If new Grizzlies owner Robert Pera wants to play one-on-one for $1 million to charity (as he said on Twitter), Jordan won’t be his opponent. ‘I think that’s comical,’’ Jordan said. ‘It didn’t make any sense. Why would I play one-on-one? It’s a no-win situation for me no matter what.'”

At 35, Robert Pera is the youngest team owner in the NBA, and clearly thinks he’s a pretty good basketball player (he seems to be). Pera not only thinks he’d wipe the floor with Mark Cuban, but is also ready to take on Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan.

Charlotte Bobcats backup center Brendan Haywood will miss at least the next 12 weeks, after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot (which will require surgery. Via the press release: “An MRI and CT scan yesterday ordered by foot specialist Dr. Bob Anderson revealed the stress fracture in the navicular bone. Haywood will undergo surgery to place two screws in the bone to reinforce the stress fracture and help it to heal. Following 12 weeks of immobilization, he will undergo a follow-up CT scan to determine his return to normal activities.”

Former NBA player and current ESPN personality Jalen Rose — based on who knows what — predicts that owner Michael Jordan will make a brief comeback to the NBA this season. Rose says that MJ will hoop for his team, the Charlotte Bobcats, in one game.

Kemba Walker is sick of losing and he’s made that very clear by now. Coming off a breakout season, where he averaged 17.7 points, 5.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds, he’s looking to take it up a notch. As you may have heard, Walker gathered a few of his teammates for voluntary workouts before the start of training camp last month, looking to motivate others into putting in the necessary time and effort to make sure the Charlotte Bobcats come in to the season with the proper mindset. But prior to that, Walker was leading by example, partaking in various individual workouts back home in New York with his trainer Jay Hernandez all summer long. In the video above, the former NCAA national champ is shown tuning up his game in mid-September at a private gym in Long Island. Walker might just be the kind of player that MJ needed all along.

Point guard Kemba Walker is sick and tired of all the losing in Charlotte, and alongside big man Al Jefferson, Walker is determined to turn things around for the Bobcats. Per the Charlotte Observer: “Thursday morning 15 or so players were in the practice gym doing 3-on-3 drills with the new coaching staff. Center Al Jefferson, the most significant off-season acquisition, says he’s never seen anything like this in nine previous NBA seasons. ‘A lot of veterans might choose not to, but they’re here. We’re getting together and getting to know one another,’ Jefferson said. ‘I told Kemba (Walker) when I first signed that I’m not coming here to lose. I’m coming here to turn things around,’ Jefferson added. ‘I think (the seriousness of purpose) started with me. If I’m here in September, everyone should be. If Ben Gordon is here, same thing. If Brendan Haywood, a guy who already won a championship (with the Dallas Mavericks) is here, everybody should be here. That’s the way we look at it.’ New coach Steve Clifford was taken aback by how strong attendance has been during these voluntary get-togethers. Much of that was Walker’s doing; as this team’s starting point guard and one of the captains last season, Walker became the driving force in encouraging teammates to be in Charlotte all of September. ‘Basketball is all about chemistry. I asked (Clifford) to put together a schedule and I’d do my best to get guys to show up. There wasn’t the slightest hesitation; they’re down with it about coming,’ Walker said. ‘We have a whole new coaching staff and it’s important we get in sync with those guys. This month will help a whole lot at training camp.’ […] ‘We’re trying to change the culture around here,’ Walker said. ‘I’ve been losing for two years now. I’m sick of it. I’ve been winning my entire career and I want to get that feeling back.'”

After a breakout season in which he averaged 17.7 points, 5.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds, Kemba Walker is poised to pick up where he left off and help lead the Charlotte Bobcats into new territory. But he isn’t just taking care of business on the court. As you read here on Monday, the former UConn star and 2011 NCAA national champ has also been busy giving back to the community that raised him, refurbishing the same blacktop he played on as a child with the help of Under Armour and the NBA FIT program. Among the free gear given out to the kids in attendance in last week’s ribbon-cutting ceremony was a black/orange Under Armour “15 KW” t-shirt (shown above). And now you’ll have a chance to rock it, too, as we’re giving away this fresh limited edition shirt to three of our readers.

All you have to do is follow SLAM on Twitter (@SLAMonline), Under Armour on Twitter (@UAbasketball), and then just leave a comment below explaining why you’d like to win the shirt. Maybe you’re a fan of Kemba’s game, maybe simply need a shirt to play ball in, or maybe you have a random, creative reason. Whatever it is, we won’t judge. Just make sure you leave a valid email so we can hit you up if you win.

Good luck!

UPDATE: Comment entries for the contest are now closed. Any new comments will not be considered.

They say honesty is the best policy. And after all, my first name indicates I can’t lie to you guys. So let’s get this out of the way up front—Al Jefferson wasn’t on my personal Top 50 list. Big Al was one of my final cuts.

That means two things:

1. That you should remember these rankings are a composite. And while my list, or anyone else’s list, may seem perfect to us, that’s not the way it works.

2. Enough of my SLAM fam peers still have faith in Jefferson that I’ve been forced to re-consider.

I’m not mad at Jefferson’s ranking. Truth be told, it’s within spitting distance from where he landed for me, and upon a closer look, I can rock with it. I’ve got bigger fish to fry later on in this countdown, anyway. Matter fact I hope, for the handful of Charlotte Bobcats (are we supposed to call you Hornets yet?) fans out there, that he far surpasses this spot. Lord knows dude has the talent.

The first time I saw Al Jefferson play basketball was back in 2004, when I sat in the lower bowl at University of Maryland’s Comcast Center for what was then still called the Jordan Capital Classic. The previous year, I’d watched LeBron James do his thing in the Jumpman showcase down in DC. This time, top billing went to future No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick Dwight Howard.

And while Dwight picked up MVP honors in convincing fashion, a wide-bodied, bruising man-child from Mississippi had me scanning my program from the jump. (I learned his name was Al Jefferson, and that he averaged a ridiculous 42 ppg in his senior year of high school.) Jefferson gave Howard all he could handle on that day with 17 and 10, and looked destined to be a perennial All-Star and sure-fire 20-10 guy in the L.

College? Nah, b. I like this nugget from an ESPN scouting report prior to the ’04 Draft: “Jefferson, when asked by reporters about whether he’d play at Arkansas next season, laughed at the question. ‘They’re like, ‘Come one year and be a lottery pick next year,’ and you can’t get an education in one year.’”

Of course, none of that has anything to do with Jefferson’s No. 44 ranking for ’13-14.

But perhaps it helps contextualize why Big Al’s trajectory on this list looks the way it does since entering the League with the Celtics nine years ago. After showing flashes in Boston, he exploded in Minnesota, then finally logged legitimate post-season minutes in Utah. And yet here we are: Charlotte next up on the 28-year-old’s wandering NBA career.

Coming off a monster ’08-09 season, Big Al looked like a top-25 player on the planet. Offensively, dude couldn’t be stopped, dropping consecutive seasons of 21-plus points and 11 boards a night. Alas, neither season resulted in so much as an All-Star bid, let alone a first-round playoff series victory.

Still, we wanted to believe that Jefferson still had it in him to be a bona fide No. 1 option on a contender. But his production slipped slightly and his teams stayed mired in barely-above-average-ness at best. Last season, we ended our Top 50 write-up of Big Al with this:

“What this No. 45 ranking tells me is that Jefferson has proven much, but he still has much to prove. That he’s a very good center, but not an elite one. That until he shoulders a deep playoff run, his talented offensive game won’t be able to mask his status as a secondary star in this League.

At age 27, entering his ninth season, Big Al still has plenty of time to do just that.”

Now a decade into his career, and on a team that no sane person would call a contender, is time beginning to run out on Big Al?

A year later, after Jeff’s Jazz missed the Playoffs and his numbers dipped to 17.8 and 9.2 per, we moved him…up a spot. Because, well, a new face in a new place often breeds optimism.

Jefferson inked a three-year, $40.5 million deal with Charlotte back in July, which by default immediately makes him the biggest free-agent signing in the history of the Charlotte Bobcats. He will surely make the Cats a better team offensively and probably produce big numbers as the top option in Charlotte, while freeing up space for Kemba Walker and shooters.

Sure, there is nothing sexy about Jefferson’s game. On offense, it’s a whole lotta post-up, and he’s damn good. Big body, big hands, big task for opposing centers. He’s never been terribly efficient, but since entering the NBA, he’s scored between 1.08 and 1.12 points per possession in every year where he played at least 60 games. That’s good, not stupendous.

On the other end of the floor, even Jefferson admits that, well, he stinks. He’s a proficient defensive rebounder, but he’s generally lost beyond that. He literally told Grantland’s Zach Lowe that this is what he thinks about when playing D: “On defense, I’m just thinking, OK, Al, you gotta be ready. Be focused. Here they come with the re-screen! Oh, shoot!”

He promises to get better, though. And if he can improve defensively even in the slightest, he may finally be poised to put together that All-Star season we’ve been waiting for—after all, on a Bobcats team devoid of scoring, he’s primed to push his career bests in points. Convince me, Al.

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As he walked in through the parking lot at around 5:00pm, a family of four yelled his name from the fire escape ladder on the second floor of a public housing project adjacent to the park. Kemba Walker smiled and waved back at them. Three stories above on the fifth floor of the same building, coming from four different windows, which appeared to be two separate apartments, were the voices of about eight kids clamoring for Walker’s attention. The 6-1 guard pointed back at each window. He wasn’t just doing so in attempt to show acknowledgement. It was more like he actually remembered them.

See, that aforementioned building, 710 Noble Avenue, that stood tall facing the basketball court on the corner of Seward and Rosedale Avenue in the Soundview section of the Bronx happens to be where Walker called home before starring at UConn and ultimately becoming Michael Jordan’s prized young starting PG. And those waving at him from the fire escape ladder and windows above aren’t just fans. They are his former neighbors. His community. His motivation.

And that newly refurbished basketball court he was walking toward wasn’t just randomly chosen by the NBA FIT program or Under Armour. It was handpicked by Walker himself — the same blacktop where he honed his skills before blowing up in the AAU circuit. The one whose playing surface wasn’t always in the safest conditions, much due to the cracks and partially uneven spots throughout. The court whose basket was also unleveled for a very long time.

But as the former NCAA National champ made his grand entrance into the Sack Wern Housing Community basketball court, the vibe was far different from the old days — especially now that one of their own had made it. The line to get inside the park wrapped around the corner. Walker was greeted by NYCHA chairman John Rhea at the entrance. Seated on the floor at halfcourt were approximately 75 kids awaiting the hometown hero, all wearing black “15 KW” t-shirts, with four empty chairs in front of them. Over 100 hundred people watched from the gate outside the park on the sidewalk. According to Under Armour, last Thursday’s court refurbishment drew the largest crowd out of any conducted in the last couple of years. As the 9th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft took his seat, he was joined by Rhea and NBA legend Nate “Tiny” Archibald on his right side.

“I want to thank everybody out here,” Walker told the crowd, many of which he spent his childhood with. “In some type of way everybody out here affected my life. God put you in my life for a reason. I known damn near everybody out here today.”

“This is for you guys. Growing up, I think everybody here knows how much this park means to me. I had wars in this park. A lot of my wars are right here, too,” said Walker, pointing at some of his childhood friends in attendance. “I killed a lot of these guys right here.”

As Walker continued to reminisce on his early days at the park, the emotions began to kick in. Although there was certainly gratitude on behalf of the attendees for his willingness to give back, he seemed to be even more grateful for the large turnout and support on this special day. “This is exciting,” said the young Bobcat. “I’m so happy to be back. So excited to see all these old faces. I really appreciate that all of you guys came out. You don’t understand how much this means to me,” he added before covering his face and bursting into tears, pausing for about 35 seconds. The quiet crowd then began to loudly cheer him on as Walker regained his composure.

“I don’t know what else to say,” he continued. “This has always been a dream of mine. Growing up, this park was always getting renovated and then always getting messed up. And for a long time, it was really messed up and I had nowhere to play. So that’s when I started going into the AAU circuit and things like that. I knew I had a chance. I always told myself that I would come back and give to my community. I grew up right here. If I were somebody else, I would be in this seat right here. I’m just lost for words right now.”

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony was a basketball clinic that included ball handling drills, among many other exercises, for the kids in attendance. The night ended with a block party that featured food, drinks and music.

As Walker attempted to walk off the court on the Seward Avenue side, he is courted and surrounded by kids seeking autographs, photographs, a handshake or just a quick convo. Half-hour later and he is still in the same spot, as more kids (and even adults) from the area continue to arrive in hopes of meeting him. At some point, an Under Armour representative steps in, signaling to the Bronx native if he wants to be escorted out of the mayhem, but Walker shakes his head and continues to smile for his next picture.

He understood how important the day was, not just to the kids, but also to the community. “I really appreciate this, honestly,” he added before the ribbon-cuhatting. “This is big time.”

With his name imprinted on the floor, it shall now be known as The Court That Kemba Walker Rebuilt.

Free agent froward James Southerland has signed with the Charlotte Bobcats, it was announced on Thursday. Per the press release: “The 6-8 Southerland, an undrafted rookie from Syracuse University, posted career-best averages in scoring (13.3 ppg), rebounding (5.2 rpg) and three-point shooting (.398) as a senior in 2012-13. During his four-year career, he averaged 7.9 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting .449 from the field and .370 from three-point range in 112 games. Southerland tied a Syracuse single-game school record with nine three-pointers as he scored a career-high 35 points at Arkansas on Nov. 30, 2012. Southerland was named to the 2013 Big East All-Tournament Team after setting a tournament record with 17 three-pointers. Additionally, he set a Big East Tournament record for most three-pointers in a game without a miss, going 6-6 on his way to a team-high 20 points against Pittsburgh on March 14, 2013. This summer, Southerland played for the Philadelphia 76ers entry in the NBA Orlando Summer League as well as the Golden State Warriors entry in the Las Vegas Summer League.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/charlotte-bobcats-sign-james-southerland/feed/6Kevin Durant Puts on a Show at EBC Final in the Gauchos Gym (VIDEO)http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/kevin-durant-puts-on-a-show-at-ebc-final-in-the-gauchos-gym-video/
http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/kevin-durant-puts-on-a-show-at-ebc-final-in-the-gauchos-gym-video/#commentsFri, 23 Aug 2013 17:10:39 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/online/?p=285866

In the summer of 2011, Kevin Durant tore up Rucker Park (dropping 66 points in the world’s most famous streetball setting). He intended to do the same thing last night, but bad weather squashed those plans. KD, along with David Lee, Landry Fields, Kent Bazemore, Kemba Walker, Jay Williams and a host of others took the show indoors to the Bronx, inside the Gauchos gym.

Anthony Tolliver and the Bobcats agreed to a one-year contract worth the veteran’s minimum, according to the Charlotte Observer: “Free-agent Anthony Tolliver, a 6-foot-8 forward with five seasons of NBA experience, has agreed to a one-year, veteran-minimum deal with the Charlotte Bobcats. Tolliver, who played for the Atlanta Hawks last season, reportedly drew interest from a variety of teams, including the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz. He has a history with members of the Bobcats coaching staff, working with assistants Stephen Silas at Golden State and Bob Weiss in Atlanta last season.”

Backup point guard Jannero Pargo is returning to the Charlotte Bobcats next season, with other moves potentially on the horizon. Per the Charlotte Observer: “The Charlotte Bobcats are bringing back Jannero Pargo to serve as their third point guard and could soon add forward Anthony Tolliver. Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins said the team has come to terms with Pargo and has offered Tolliver a one-year, veteran-minimum contract. Pargo was with the Bobcats their last 17 games last season, filling in after backup point guard Ramon Sessions suffered a season-ending knee sprain. A nine-season NBA veteran, Pargo averaged 8.6 points, 1.9 assists and just over 16 minutes. He was particularly helpful as a 3-point shooter, making 38 percent of his attempts for a team that was 27th among 30 teams in that statistic. New coach Steve Clifford said at summer league last month that adding a reliable third point guard was his top priority for the last couple of roster spots. Clifford said he also wanted to have a sixth option at the center/power forward positions.”

On June 15, 2006, Michael Jordan became the Managing Member of Basketball Operations and a minority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. On March 17, 2010, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously voted to approve Michael Jordan as the majority owner the franchise soon to be re-nicknamed the Hornets.

It’s been a tumultuous seven years for the GOAT while at the Cats’ helm. Media and fans alike have killed Jordan for dozens of personnel moves both on the court and in the front office. Jordan has also received flack for not making his best attempt to turn Charlotte into perennial winning organization.

Most recently, fans stormed out of the Bobcats’ 2013 draft party at the Time Warner Cable Arena after Jordan’s crew selected Cody Zeller at No. 4 overall instead of the likes of Ben McLemore or Nerlens Noel. Then, critics again came screaming about the Cats’ signing of Al Jefferson for three years, $41 million deal. Many chalked the move up as the latest to make the Bobcats the laughing stock of the League.

Stop laughing.

It might not seem like it after a quick glance on paper and when viewing the Bobcats’ roster, but Jordan & Co. have set up Charlotte for a potentially very bright immediate future. This plan has four steps:

1) Draft Efficiently

Laugh at the Zeller selection all you want, but it looks like the Cats might be on to something after the former Indiana big man’s performance out in Vegas. Sure, take that with a grain of salt, but look at Charlotte’s Draft picks from 2009-2012.

The Bobcats seem to have drafted their starting point guard, shooting guard and small forward (Walker, Henderson, MKG) of the future over a span of four years, now they just need proper coaching. It also looks like Charlotte has a very solid rotation player in Taylor. Throw in the budding talent that Harris now is in Orlando and the Cats have been a very, very good drafting team in recent years. Now Jordan has to add to that young core…

2) Add An Impact Free Agent

What is the oldest style of basketball? Playing offense inside-out, getting into the paint and then opening up scoring opportunities on the perimeter. Today, stat heads and analysts praise the value in offenses that predicate on layups and three-pointers. With the addition of Big Al, the Bobcats have the potential to play an efficient style of basketball.

Jefferson is a legitimate threat to score 16 points and grab 10 rebounds a night while commanding double-teams on the block. Hate on Jefferson all you want and call him injury-prone as much as you would like, Big Al has started and played in all but 15 of Utah’s 312 regular-season games over the past four seasons, and averaged at least 17.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game each season. Having that presence in the half court for the Bobcats will provide cleaner looks for Charlotte’s young guards and lanes to penetrate and cut as well.

Take a look at this highlight from Big Al and Utah’s victory over Boston in 2011. Sure, he’s a black hole at times, but you can’t deny the opportunities he creates for slashing teammates, the spacing a Big Al pick and roll makes and the transition chances his post defense forges for other players.

Even if the Bobcats miss the Playoffs, adding Jefferson will be a good addition to this team.

3) Utilize The Deep 2014 Draft

If Charlotte makes the Playoffs—they’ll likely be fighting with the Cavaliers, Wizards, Celtics, Bucks, Hawks and Raptors for the final two playoff spots after the Knicks and Pistons—it’s a win for the organization. But, if they miss out on the postseason, they’ll likely have a top-10 lottery pick (which would then be protected from the Chicago Bulls) and can add another piece in a deep, deep draft class.

And the Cats—then, Hornets—won’t just have their own first-round pick to work with. They’ll likely be owed Portland’s first-round pick that’s 1-12 protected (via 2011 Gerald Wallace trade). Next, Charlotte is also owed Detroit’s first-round pick that’s 1-8 protected (via 2012 Ben Gordon/Corey Maggette trade). The Pistons are almost a lock to make the Playoffs, but even if they miss out, they probably won’t be one of the bottom eight teams in the League, either.

With all that in play, the Bobcats have a very good chance at having three top-20 picks in a historically loaded 2014 Draft. If Jordan can continue to draft well like he and Charlotte have in recent years, the Bobcats could complete their budding starting lineup and rotation.

**Charlotte’s worst-case scenario for the 2014 Draft: Making the Playoffs, and Detroit and Portland totally collapsing.

4) Bring It All Together

If those three steps play out well for Jordan & Co., the Bobcats will simply need a head coach to bring all the troops together.

Jordan hired former Lakers assistant coach Steve Clifford at the end of May to be the Bobcats’ next head coach. He’ll be the team’s third coach in as many years since Larry Brown left Charlotte following ’09-10 season. Clifford is very well respected throughout the League and may have a bright future as a head coach. If he can implement a productive offensive system utilizing Jefferson’s post presence and the speed of his young backcourt, Clifford and his staff will have to work mostly on defense to get the most out of his players. His team’s raw talent and athleticism will help with that task too.

Yes, there are a lot of ifs in this four-step plan to build Charlotte into a playoff contender, but the groundwork is in place and the future can be bright for the Bobcats.

So, before you laugh at the Jumpman’s organization, take a moment to look over the pieces they have in place and what is to come.

His older brother, Steph, once said the same thing (before he became a hero in The Bay, and fell madly in love with the Warriors’ fanbase). Now, former Duke standout Seth Curry — who went unpicked in the 2013 NBA Draft — is claiming he’d like to play for his hometown Charlotte Bobcats. Per the Sporting News: “For Seth Curry, son of a former Hornets sharpshooter, nothing would be better than to stay in Charlotte and play for the hometown Bobcats. ‘It’s my home,’ Curry said. ‘This is where I grew up. I would love to come back here and play.’ Although his preference is obvious, there is no certainty Curry will end up with the Bobcats, who will become the Hornets again in 2014-15. Curry is set to workout for the Bobcats in August, after passing up their Summer League offer and missing draft workouts because of a stress fracture in his right shin that required surgery. He already has training camp invites from the Wolves, Spurs and Warriors. […] Charlotte could certainly use someone who plays Curry’s brand of basketball. The Bobcats shot 33.5 percent from the 3-point line as a team, and Ben Gordon was the only full-time player to average better than 35 percent, at 38.7 percent. Gerald Henderson, also a former Duke player, is more of a slasher and midrange shooter. He attempted only 102 3-point shots in his first three NBA seasons combined. While he nearly matched that total with 100 attempts in 2012-13, he only shot 33.0 percent from three, which is below average for a starting NBA shooting guard. ‘They have a lot of guys who can slash and create,’ Curry said of the Bobcats. ‘They have a few shooters, guys who can not down shots consistently, but I think they need more shooters. I can fill that role and be a guard who comes off the bench and scores.’ Curry created offense in his senior season at Duke with a shin injury so serious he even considered redshirting, something he called a ‘last resort.’ Coach Mike Krzyzewski allowed Curry to miss practices so he would be fresh for games. It worked. Curry played out a successful senior season that ended with an Elite Eight loss to Louisville.”

The Bobcats’ longest-tenured player agreed to a three-year, $18 million deal with the team on Friday. According to Yahoo, Henderson had an offer for about $7 million per season, but turned that down for a player option on the third season: “Restricted free-agent guard Gerald Henderson is finalizing an agreement on a three-year, $18 million contract extension with the Charlotte Bobcats, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Henderson will hold a player option in the third year, sources said. The re-signing of Henderson – one of the most consistent and talented players for the fledgling franchise – was the top priority for the franchise to secure for new coach Steve Clifford. After details are ironed out over the weekend, an agreement is expected to be signed early next week, league sources said. Henderson turned down more lucrative money from Charlotte to secure the player option on the third year of the deal, sources said. He could’ve had $7 million per season in this deal, but would’ve had to lock into three years without the player option in 2015-’16 that could get Henderson into free agency a year sooner, sources said.”

The NBA’s team owners unanimously approved Charlotte’s name change back to the Hornets, 11 years after the city’s original team moved to New Orleans (eventually becoming known as the Pelicans.) Per the press release and the Charlotte Observer: “The Hornets was the name of the original Charlotte NBA franchise that debuted during the 1988-89 campaign. ‘We’re thrilled to bring back the Hornets to Charlotte and the Carolinas,’ said Bobcats Sports & Entertainment Chairman Michael Jordan. ‘The passion and enthusiasm around this name change by fans in this market has been unmatched. They overwhelmingly told us what they wanted, we listened and we couldn’t be happier with the Board of Governors’ approval of the name change. With the young team we are developing on the court, the direction of our business and the return of the Hornets name, we are extremely excited about our future. The Buzz is Back!’ […] That change will take effect after the 2013-14 season, allowing enough lead time to switch uniforms, logos and signage in and around Time Warner Cable Arena. The Hornets moved in 2002 after owner George Shinn and city council failed to work out a deal to replace the Charlotte Coliseum. The NBA quickly replaced the Hornets in Charlotte with an expansion team with new owner Bob Johnson called the Bobcats. That name wasn’t well received by Charlotteans, some of whom saw ‘Bobcats’’ as a show of vanity by Johnson, the billionaire founder of Black Entertainment Television. Johnson ended up selling majority control of the team to Michael Jordan in March 2010. Former NBA superstar Jordan frequently said his goal was to recreate the atmosphere he remembered playing against the Hornets as far back as the team’s debut season in 1988. The Hornets sold out the 24,000-plus seat Coliseum for nearly nine seasons, regularly leading the NBA in attendance. The Hornets had a distinctive purple-and-teal color scheme, with pinstriped and pleated uniforms courtesy of North Carolina-based clothing designer Alexander Julian.”

Free agent big man Byron Mullens is nearing a two-year deal with the LA Clippers, according to multiple published reports. The second year of the contract has a player option for the seven-footer. Per the LA Times: “The two sides are getting close to a deal that would pay Mullens the veteran’s minimum of about $1 million. Mullens made 38.5% of his shots last season, including 31.1% of his three-pointers. He averaged 10.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in 53 games, 41 as a starter. Both sides hope to have a deal in place Thursday, the executives said.”